


Talk To Me Boy

by SanSmexy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Angels, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Begging, Blow Jobs, Breeding Kink, Car Accidents, Cheating, Country & Western, Equestrian, F/M, Flexin on Exes, Gentle Sex, Hand Jobs, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Knotting, Licking, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Praise Kink, Public Sex, Rut, Size Difference, Size Kink, Slow Burn, Thicc Original Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:08:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 104,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28830975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanSmexy/pseuds/SanSmexy
Summary: The day they met was purely by chance, but it's amazing what a weekend, some drama, and a trailer accident can do.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 9
Kudos: 31





	1. Bunny Bustin

The rodeo grounds were bustling. 

  


From the steers baying in the feedlots to the kids screaming while riding the various carnival rides that turned the usually empty stretch of acreage into a summer oasis of fun. People were milling back and forth between the livestock barns and the food vendors, waiting for the main arena to announce the night's entertainment.

  


William pulled his vest on, velcroed it into place. The bright Red Wrangler logo stood out against the black neoprene, acting as both an advertisement and a mark of the vest's quality. He pulled his cuffs down, rolling his shoulders as he settled the fabric of his shirt into place under the vest, comfortable again for now. 

  


As he put his hair up, tying it into a low set ponytail to keep it from getting in the way later, someone called out to him from somewhere else in the barn, told him to hurry up. 

  


"Alright. I'm coming," WIlliam shouted back, finishing his task before he turned left the tack room and started to make his way to the arena. 

  


As he stepped out of the barn, hooves leaving rubber matting and settling on dirt, he noted just how packed the place had gotten in the last few hours. The morning had been dead, just people who worked there or were coming to show wandering about doing chores. Now it was if the floodgates had opened, and he was pretty sure half the county had showed up.

  


People made way for him as he stepped into the crowd. He was massive, so it wasn't hard to get people to move. As he walked, a child gawked up at him as he passed. William noticed and smiled, gave a small wave, which in turn delighted the kid who ran screaming to his mother to say "Mommy, mommy! I saw the _coolest_ Angel-"

  


Angels were still a relatively new sight for many. They had always been around, but it was only the last few decades that the interdimensional species had integrated into regular human society. They were responsible for many of the religions that humans had taken to, and were called angels because of their place of origin, and references in Christian theology. 

  


The history between humans and Angels was long and tiresome, tumultuous at its worst. Angels had first made contact with earth a long, long time ago. The Egyptians were probably the first to really catalog them, their "gods" really just portraits of angels who had come to teach them medicine and primitive technology that humans at the time thought was cutting edge. After that, it was a steady spread, and all was well.

  


Until the crusades started happening.

  


Christianity had always been rather gruesome. Angels had never condoned the ideas that came along with that particular infatuation, and had pulled away from earth when humans claimed to be doing everything in "gods name". Many Angels had said that humans were beyond help at that point, too radical to bother teaching. But the ideas had changed, and after a cool down period, Angels cautiously reached out again, despite many saying the idea was foolish.

  


Humans had mixed feelings about it, and so did the majority of angels. The first migrants from Heaven to earth had received scorn and prejudice, and tensions had been high. Some would argue that they still were, plenty of humans refusing to have anything to do with Angels, and vice versa, but it was better than it had been.

  


The child William had just waved to was proof of changing tides. William had been on earth for quite some time now, and children had always proved to be the most opened minded. He made an effort to interact with them, to keep them that way, and encourage growth.

  


But the child's high pitched voice was soon drowned out by the rest of the carnival as William continued on. He didn't really have time to stop this time, as he usually would. The draw for the buck off was happening, and if he wanted to see who he was going to be paired up with prior to getting into the chute he had to get there before they started drawing numbers. 

  


He approached the indoor arena soon enough, the massive building the main attraction for the crowd. The main doors were shut though, locked until later on that night, and he had to go around back to slip in through the staff entrance. A few other Angels were milling about as he came through the double doors, nodding to him as he went by. 

  


"Bucking tonight?" One of them asked, taking a drag from their cigarette after.

  


"Yeah," William replied. "Pro and buckle bunnies."

  


"Hah," the angel barked. He fixed William with a look. "Did you get roped into that shitshow? Or are you just shit at talking to women?"

  


William rolled his eyes. "Sounds like you're the one who's striking out," he jested back, and allowed himself to be amused as the other Angel scowled at him, apparently not having expected his jeering to backfire. William tipped his head to him and opted to keep moving. The PA system was crackling to life just then, a tinny voice telling everyone the draw was about to commence.

  


William traveled up the gentle sloping ramp that connected the back of the house to the arena itself. It was used for everything from horses to cattle, but people were the main thoroughfares. It opened up first into the dugout, where riders could get to their chutes for bull riding or bronco busting. Usually there was a gate separating the dirt arena from the runway, but it was left open as people needed to get onto the dirt to get their partner numbers.

  


A small crowd had already gathered in the center, but William and many others were flooding in as the PA system said that numbers were being drawn. 

  


He took a cursory glance around, trying to spot any familiar faces. He did notice a few, mostly buckers looking to get points to qualify for other shows later in the season, but there were a few women whom he could recount seeing from either the trick riding clique or the barrel racing fanatics. 

  


For the most part, though, the faces were new and fresh and William found himself feeling a bit more hyped for the night's show. Getting a rider he hadn't come across before was nice. Kept him on his toes.

  


He stopped next to a woman who was miniature when compared to him, standing there with her arms crossed and silent. He couldn't see her face, because she had her hat on and he was looking down on her, but he supposed that if she was waiting she must have signed up for the bunny bust. 

  


He wondered if she knew what she was getting into. 

  


Then again, the Bunny Bust was more lip service than an actual show. Like powderpuff football. No one took it seriously, and it was mostly airhead blondes who wanted to straddle a man's shoulders for a few minutes and be carried around. Wasn't even pro broncos that offered to do it, either. William could tell you that in the whole room he was maybe the only real bronco who had signed up for the Bunny Bust along with the pro circuit. The rest of the angels who were there were either pro only, or just horny teenagers who wanted to give the bunnies a good time.

  


It would be interesting none the less and he wasn't one to judge anyone's fancies.

  


The person announcing the draws started speaking, an older gentleman who looked like he lived off beer and steak and cigars. One by one he started listing off numbers, and William saw the corresponding people either leave, or make contact with their partner in the crowd to strike up a conversation. Everyone was wearing their entry number, which made identifying each other easy. William waited patiently, shifting his weight from one hoof to the other, and eventually perked up when his number was called.

  


"33 with 45 for the Bunny Bust, and 33 with 4 for the Pro," the announcer said into the microphone. 

  


William looked around, made eye contact with number 4 across the way. He was a sandy haired man, definitely new to this side of town. They both nodded to each other before number 4 was turning to leave. William didn't fret. They would more than likely get to talk before he got into the chute anyway. 

  


That only left his Bunny. William started to glance around, looking for a 45 amongst the crowd. When he didn't see it at first, he frowned, wondering if maybe she had scratched or forgotten she needed to show up for her draw. And then he saw the woman next to him turn to look up, and that's when he noticed that she was his partner. 

  


Huh. 

  


William went to say hey, to break the ice and introduce himself, as he always did. But he got distracted. 

  


He was suddenly met with the most gorgeous set of brown eyes he had ever seen, twinkling pools of chocolate and amber framed by long, dark eyelashes. They screamed mischief, like he was in for more than he could bargain for, and it turned his tongue to lead in his jaw in an instant. 

  


His partner was smirking as she looked him up and down, sizing him up. Once she had, she was cocking her hip and putting her hands in her back pockets, looking him dead in the eyes.

  


"Guess I got the biggest bronco," she said, and William blinked. 

  


She was a tiny thing. Couldn't have been more than 5'3, and that was pushing it. She had a heart shaped face, caramel skin, brown doe eyes and killer figure. She was a bit on the heavier side (most bunnies were thin twigs), and her shirt was straining to contain what William was positive were huge knockers. They matched her hips though, and her thighs. She was definitely thick with three c's, if you caught his drift.

  


"I guess so," was all he could muster in the moment as his brain was still trying to wrap itself around his fortunate partnership. She chuckled, and William drew himself out of his shock to put on his charm.

  


"You ever been busting before?" He asked, hands on his hips and puffing his chest out just a bit.

  


She shrugged, nonchalant. "Nah. I lost a bet though. Have to pay my dues. Bunny busting was the bargain." She tilted her head at him, eyes still sparkling. "Heard you're in for the Pro's. What's a big shot bronco doing letting girls on his shoulders?"

  


"I don't mind the charity work," William teased, and it earned him tinkering laughter that made his stomach do flips in response.

  


"Aren't you a saint," she cooed.

  


"I try," he purred.

  


He liked this one.

  


William had honestly been expecting to be paired with a regular rodeo girl. Either she would be ditzy and dumb, or a barn bitch who wanted to fight gender norms and show the men that women could bronco bust too. William didn't have a problem with either, but he generally preferred his company to have more to their personality besides being dumb or mean. It just made for better conversation… and relations.

  


She was ticking all the boxes so far, obviously playing coy but not outright dim. And she knew how to tease back, which was always a plus. A little back and forth was a must for him. Riding was pretty intimate. He'd rather have a good time then be settled with someone unpleasant on his shoulders.

  


"But, honestly, I figured I'd give it a go," he clarified, actually answering her question. "Give a girl a challenge... if she wanted one," William added, voice a heady rumble, and she was nodding in understanding.

  


"Guess I'm lucky then," she said, batting her lashes at him. William smirked. 

  


"I could give you a private lesson, if you want." He let his eyes rove, actively checking her out. He saw her grin, bite her lip slightly. "You know… so its not a surprise when we go in the ring," he purred. 

  


Okay, he liked this girl. _Liked_ her, liked her. Maybe it was because she actually had some humor, and wasn't just a giggling barbie that laughed at the drop of a hat. Or maybe it was because the more he talked to her, the more he was invested on keeping the convo going. Whatever the case, he was definitely entertaining the idea of letting her sit on him in more ways than one. She seemed to like him too, if her flirting back was any indication. 

  


It had been a while since he had shared his bed. He had no doubts that she would be fun indeed.

  


"Helping me out of the kindness of your heart, huh?" She asked, and William wanted to paw the floor with a hoof like a stallion. Damn she was good.

  


"Of course," he said, unable to help the way his voice his dropped a bit more, putting the charm on full force. Not that he needed it. Him and his bunny were getting along just fine, but a little insurance wouldn't hurt.

  


He waited, wondering what her answer would be. She appeared to consider it for a few moments, taunting him by making the seconds tick by before answering with a "No".

  


It wasn't unkind, like he had pushed too far and struck a nerve, but it _was_ to signal the end of their banter. She tipped her hat to him, smiled at him over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "I'll catch you later, big boy. Might even surprise you when I do."

  


As if to let him know she was still interested, he didn't miss the way she looked him up and down again, a slow drag of her eyes over his body before she finally started to leave. William felt shivers race down his spine at the action, and he found himself upset that they had to part. It was only an hour or two before the Bunny Bust, but it was still a long amount of time he didn't really want to wait through. 

  


She was interesting. Hed much rather spend time with her than sitting on his thumbs and chewing the cud with other Bronco's.

  


However, his opinion was moot. She was already heading off towards the exit, leaving William to ponder his new partner. 

  


It was only when she was gone did he realize he hadn't gotten her name…

  
  


XxX

  
  


William hung around the arena building until it was closer towards the time the Bunny Busting would start. The color guard and trick riders had warmed up the crowd in the meantime and laid the foundation for what was sure to be a good night. The Bunnies coming up would be good eye candy for the men in the audience, which would sell more beer, and make the crowds more ramped up for when the bull riding and Bronco Busting happened. It was simple show planning. 

  


But William didn't really care about any of that right now. He was much more interested in seeing _her_ again and maybe getting her name. He'd been replaying their conversation in his head for the last two hours, trying to make sure that one, he was reading the signs right and two, he hadn't made the whole thing up. All points had led to yes, she was flirting, and yes, it had happened.

  


And so he found himself by the chutes a bit early, watching other bunnies and their broncos go first while he waited for his partner to show. 

  


For the most part, the performances were as expected. The crowd was mostly cat-calling the girls who had worn their skimpiest tops and short shorts, and the broncos were no more than average Joe Angels who didn't even know how to fake a buck to save their life. One even fell over, too preoccupied with trying to look up his Bunnies shirt that he tripped over his own two hooves and sent them both face first into the dirt. 

  


The bunny was not happy, to say the least. 

  


William was watching them leave the arena, the bunny fuming over being embarrassed in front a crowd, when he felt someone come up behind him. He looked down, and noted it was his partner. 

  


Except she'd done an outfit change since the last he saw her. 

  


Before, she had been wearing plain barn clothes with hay sticking to the back of her shirt and horsehair on the front. He hadn't minded then, as everyone had hay or hair on them at some point during the day during a rodeo. But now she was wearing one of those nice show tops the horse girls loved to wear, blinging with Swarovski crystals on the collar and cuffs. Her shirt wasn't buttoned up all the way, cleavage poking through the plum colored material, but not in a whoring fashion like the rest of the bunnies had done. Her shirt was tucked into her jeans, which looked brand new, and the outfit was complete with rich leather boots and a blinging belt buckle that proudly declared her as the 2018 Woman's Reined Cowhorse Champion.

  


Oh, so that's what she meant by surprise. 

  


He must've been staring because she was smirking at up at him, waving her hand in front of his line of sight 

  


"My eyes are here," she teased, and William realized he probably looked pretty sus. He hadn't been staring at her boobs, but the angle he had to look down at her at was definitely hard to defend. 

  


"This what you meant by surprise?" he asked, pointing to her belt buckle. "I got partnered with a champion, and she didn't even tell me."

  


She rolled her eyes playfully. "If I had told you, I would have missed the look on your face just now." 

  


"Hm. Fair."

  


She smiled, seeming pleased that he wasn't put off with the fact that she actually had experience being a professional rider. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear before she spoke again. "I guess I never introduced myself earlier. I'm Tatiana."

  


She held out her hand to him, and William took it. His hand swallowed hers, and he had to remember not to squeeze too hard. He doubted he would hurt her, but her hands were so small he didn't want to take the chance. 

  


"William," he replied, and gave her an easy smile. "Nice to have a name. I've been calling you partner in my head the whole time."

  


Tatiana laughed. "Same. It's nice to meet you, William."

  


They held hands for a few more seconds before parting, and Tatiana was looking around. "I've never done this before," she said. "What now?"

  


"Well, we have two more before us," William said. "But thats only a few minutes."

  


He crouched down beside her, still taller than her even when he was on his knees, and gestured for her to hop on. 

  


His vest was actually a seat for his rider. It came with a stiff leather handle that one was supposed to hold to keep steady while he moved around, right below the collar of his shirt. Under that, there was a little lip of stiff neoprene and leather that prevented people from sliding off. Well, not completely, but it was good for when he was standing still. It allowed his rider to sit comfortable enough and not have to strain to keep from sliding down his back. He usually held their knees anyway, so it wasn't completely necessary, but he was sure it would help her at least. 

  


He was no horse, and he didn't have a saddle like one, so any extra help would make her feel more comfortable. 

  


Tat nodded, and he bent forwards a bit more, hands on the concrete floor to lower himself even further to make getting up easier. She swung her leg over his shoulder and grabbed the leather handhold. William asked her if she was ready, and when she said yes he put his feet back under him and stood up.

  


"Fuck, you're tall," he heard her say from above and he couldn't help but laugh. 

  


"Well, I am about eight foot one," he replied, hooking his four arms around her thighs to hold her in place. "I'm a smooth ride though. Better than a Paso."

  


"Uh huh. And thats why you throw men in the dirt for fun?" 

  


"Well, a smooth ride to those who deserve it."

  


He felt her chuckle, and he took that as a sign she was comfortable. He turned towards the gate, the couple in front of them entering for their little run around in the arena. He paused by the gate, rolled his shoulders. 

  


"So, I won't do anything crazy," he started, turning his head to more or less make sure she could hear him over the crowd rather than to make eye contact. "I won't buck you off. I can do little bunny hops, but if thats too much I can-"

  


"What? You're not going to show me some of your moves?" She cut him off, and William found himself surprised yet again.

  


"I… You want me too?" He asked, not sure if she was serious. "I thought you hadn't done bucking?"

  


"I haven't!" She affirmed. She shifted on his shoulders, her thighs squeezing around his neck. "But, I mean… I can take something. I'm the only one who got a pro. We gotta give them a little show, don't you think?"

  


She was leaning forwards into his line of sight, smiling, and William was gobsmacked. 

  


She was serious.

  


"I…"

  


"Come on," she said, squeezing him again with her thighs. He shivered in reply, kicked the ground as the pleasurable sensation traveled down his spine. 

  


"I… You sure?" The couple in the arena was finishing up, the timer running out. They only had seconds left to decide.

  


"I'm a reining champion!" She crowed over the crowd. "Just don't let go and I'll be fine!" She patted one of his hands, reminding him that he had a hold of her for extra security. 

  


Well, when she put it like that…

  


"Alright," he shouted back, the crowd still rip roaring as the previous bunny and her bronco cleared the arena. Will waited for them to get out of the way before he was trotting into the lights, Tat on his shoulders.

  


The Bunny Busting show was a tacky affair, complete with cheesy music one would expect at a country strip club and overdone lighting. William had always found it a bit overwhelming, but then again he didn't believe in covering up shitty work with effects. Now though, he was in the thick of it, and besides the deafening soundtrack, he had to try not to accidentally throw Tatiana off, but still make her work to stay on.

  


He bunched his hindquarters, sprung up into the air. He landed, shortly after, and Tat hadn't even wavered. He did it again, rocking a bit, but she counteracted his forward movement, hips on swivel and absorbing most of his movement. 

  


Interesting. 

  


William had had many people on his shoulders. Most people couldn't so easily counter his hopping. Granted, he wasn't going hard, but it still should have upset her balance. 

  


"Are you even trying?" He heard her taunt, her thighs squeezing him again. Again he trembled, kicked the ground, and she laughed. 

  


Well, if that's how she wanted to play it.

  


William started bucking a bit harder, adding more variety and turns to his efforts. Tat was still centered, still holding on. He ramped it up, started adding quick spins and turns and slides to try and upset her. She countered each one, or went with it and didn't get flustered in the least.

  


William was contemplating actually putting full effort into it when the buzzer rang over the thudding music, and the crowd was roaring its enthusiasm. The MC was hyping them up, telling them to give him and Tat a hand for their performance. He could see her shadow waving to the crowd, felt her shift a bit in the seat so that she was somewhat hovering over his shoulders instead of sitting on them. He let her have a few more waves in before he started to trot back to the chutes, and once there she was whooping her enthusiasm.

  


"That was great," she said, and William was agreeing. 

  


"Had no idea you had such a good seat," he said, crouching down to let her off. She dismounted and moved to stand in front of him. He looked at her, and felt his heart start to thump wildly in his chest. 

  


Her cheeks were flushed, hair messy from losing her hat in the ring. One of her buttons on her top had come undone, showing even more cleavage. And her eyes were twinkling, sparkling in the overhead lights.

  


She's beautiful, he thought to himself. 

  


And he was falling for her.

  


He shouldn't. It was crazy. Hed only known her for moments at a time. But he couldn't deny the way his heart was pounding, how seeing her smile made him feel giddy. 

  


"Will?"

  


He blinked. What? He looked at her again, noticed she was looking at him, as if he was supposed to do something.

  


"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you," he said, and she smiled again, a gentle one. 

  


"I was saying thanks," she repeated, earnest. "Most broncos would be mad to be paired with me. I'm not a bubble headed blonde, and I know how to ride."

  


"Their loss," William quickly countered, anger momentarily swelling in his chest at the thought of someone saying they didn't want to be her partner simply because she wasn't a twig with extensions. "And you don't have to thank me. I had fun."

  


"Same." 

  


Tatiana nodded, cheeks darkening just a bit, before she was stepping back. "I guess you have to get ready for your actual job, huh?"

  


William shrugged. To be honest, he didn't really want to anymore. He wanted to explore this a bit more.

  


"Are you going to stick around?" He asked instead.

  


"I can."

  


"Well, we can get a drink after? Nothing fancy. Just to celebrate a good time?"

  


He didn't want to push it. He didn't want to go too fast. A drink would be enough. Become friends, and then, once he knew a bit more, he would ask if she was single. He hadn't seen any man coming running up to her at any point now or earlier when they had first met, but it didn't mean that they weren't out there.

  


"I'd like that. I haven't gone out in a while," she replied, and William nodded.

  


"Great. You can pick."

  


He stood up, dusting the gravel from the fur on his knees. Tatiana motioned towards the stairs, hinting that she was going to go find a seat. He saw her off before he had to focus back on getting his head in the game.


	2. Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulls and Broncos sell tickets, kids.

Tatiana left the dugout and climbed the stands to find a seat. The stadium was packed, everyone obviously excited for the rodeos opening night. The carnival and county fair part of the grounds had been open for the last two weeks, but the Rodeo was what everyone really wanted to see.

Finding a seat was hard, given that it was so busy, but she managed to find one that wasn't being saved by a family or covered in sticky soda pop. The view of the arena was pretty nice too. She wasn't so far she couldn't see a thing, but she wasn't so close she'd be getting pelted with dirt.

Tatiana sat and watched the crowd. She could see part of the dug out, see hats running back and forth as bull riding was about to start. The animals were being brought in from the stalls in the back, and brave men were waiting to sit on their backs and either have their 8 seconds of fame, or get tossed in the dirt and suffer some injury. 

Bull Riding was probably the most popular sport. It was quintessential cowboy, cowfolk stuff. It riled the crowd, sold beer, and kept the audience engaged. Tat enjoyed it too, liked it when the bull won most of all, but she was admittedly more curious about the sports cousin, Bronco Busting.

Bronco Busting was still relatively new. It was only through the last decade or so that it had picked up popularity, and probably had to do with the fact that regular horses broke down too easy compared to bulls. Angels had also been looking for ways to integrate into Western sports. They hadn't had much luck until a few crazies had decided hey, what if we just jump around and see if these pro bull riders can hang on and not eat shit. That was essentially how the sport was born. There were more rules now, as every sport evolved as time went on, but the goal was the same. 

Don't fall off.

Broncos, as Angels who participated in the sport were called, usually were digigrade, though there were a few who were more or less centaurs. They were harder to ride, given that the rider was perched on their shoulders instead of a broad back like in bull riding, and they were sentient. They could fuck you up in more ways than a bull ever could. Tat had seen plenty of Broncos lure their rider into a sense of safety only to completely wreck their shit by spinning, jumping, or something other. 

She was invested to see what William did. She knew she hadn't received his full payload when she'd been in the ring. Bunny busting was a horseshit side show, and there was no way any Bronco would lay a girl out flat by actually trying to buck her off. And, he was a pro. She hadn't had a chance to look him up yet, but she figured the show would answer her major questions soon enough. 

It took awhile for the bullriding to stop and the Broncos to take over. There was much less running around in the dugout, as the Broncos didn't need to be watched like the Bulls did. The announcer was calling out the pairs as they did their turns in the ring, a flurry of kicking and twisting and inevitable falls, both human and angel. Tat perked up as the screens that hung from the center of the arenas ceiling showed the next upcoming pair, two photos flying into view. One of William, and the other his rider, Samuel Whisker.

A set of stats was under each picture, Samuel having a point rating that put him relatively low on the totem pole compared to some others, while William's highlighted that he had a buck difficulty of 17 out of 20, and a point total that she wasn't too sure what it meant, but it looked pretty impressive.

The crowd was ready, cheering, screaming. Tatiana kept watching, leaning forwards in her seat. 

She saw William getting into the chute, talking to someone as they locked him in and what she guessed was Samuel climbed over the top rung to get on Williams shoulders. The crowd quieted as Samuel got his bearings, making sure his grip was right and putting the arm he was not using to hold himself in place up in the air, as customary. You could only hold on with one hand, and you better hope your grip was good.

There was a slight pause between when Samuel nodded his head that he was ready, and when the chute swung open. After that, it was so fast Tat had to make sure she didn't blink or she'd miss it.

William came tearing out of the chute, jumping in the air so high he probably would've cleared the 6 foot fence around the arena had he not had someone on his back. He landed with a sounding thud, and only paused for a second before he was arching his back and doing a rapid, aggressive set of bunny hops away from the chute. 

Samuel looked like he was riding a jack hammer, William not giving the man any mercy. His four arms, which Tat remembered he had used to help hold her in place, were tucked into the arm holes of his vest, and it was only Samuel's desperate grip on Williams handle that kept him semi seated, along with the death grip his thighs had around Williams neck. 

William spun, hard and fast, making Samuel dizzy, before he hopped once, twice, three times, then faked another jump only to plant his heels and lurch forwards. Samuel had been preparing to hold on, to go up instead of forwards as William's pattern had tricked him into believing, and he had no way to counteract the sudden movement. William arched his back just as he lurched, and Samuel went flying off his shoulders, into the arena dirt.

The crowd was wild, some people booing but the majority raving. Tat watched as William approached Samuel, and offered him a hand up as well as to ask if he was okay. Samuel was bleeding, a pretty nasty cut across his eyebrow, but he otherwise looked good and didn't seem upset. Tat smiled.

He was cocky, sure, but ultimately a sweetheart. 

Tatiana sat back in her seat as the scores were displayed across the screens. Samuel hadn't stayed on, missing the marker for 8 seconds that would have qualified him for an actual score and points towards his ranking. But William had bucked him off and his updated points displayed underneath his picture as a result. Tat still had no idea what it all meant, but she felt she at least understood now why the number was so high after that performance. 

William was a professional.

It was a long time until the arena finally started to empty. The nights shows had stretched on for what seemed like forever. So much so that Tat had broken down and made the trip to her car to get her phone and have something to scroll through while she waited for William. 

She had moved seats, sitting closer to the dug out while she watched videos on Tik Tok. The arena was essentially empty when she heard someone approaching, and looked up to see it was none other than William himself. 

He was sans Wrangler vest now, just wearing his black button down shirt. He had one set of hands on his hips. The other, over his shoulders. His four arms flexed, stretching the fabric of his shirt in all the right ways. She thought it was becoming. The black matched his fur and hair. 

Shit. _He_ was becoming. Handsome. All chiseled good looks and charm. His eyes were like glittering emeralds against the black of his sclera, contrasted by his fair skin. And his smile was infectious. Sometimes she caught the glint of his double canines in the corner of his grins, adding to the rouge character he played. Tat had met many angels in her lifetime, but Will was by far the one that had caught her attention the most. 

"Hey," he greeted, flashing her another kilowatt smile as they made eye contact. "You ready?"

Tatiana nodded and stood up, trotting down the stairs to stand beside him, tucking her phone in her back pocket. She looked up at him, and for a moment forgot how damn large he was. His thigh alone was the same size as her body. She tried not to stare, but as he shifted his weight she noted just how much muscle was corded in there, flexing under his fur.

"You made that poor Samuel eat dirt," she said, needing to distract herself. She bumped his hip with her shoulder, both gaining his attention and redirecting hers. 

William beamed her comment, eyes shining.

"You saw me, huh?"

"Well, I had to see what all the fuss was about. Wanted to know why you didn't wanna buck too hard with me on you." Tatiana chuckled, noting how happy he looked when she said she had watched. "Now I'm glad you didn't. I don't think my back could handle all that jerking around." 

"I would never do that to a lady," was his smooth reply, and Tatiana didn't miss how his voice sounded much silkier than it had two seconds ago.

She took a moment to appreciate it, and the way it settled nicely on her consciousness.

They exited the arena, started following the other scragglers towards where all the food trucks were parked. Some food vendors were open, but most that were left were the ones that sold alcohol, knowing that they still had money to make as staff and performers came to get their fill after a long days work. 

William asked her what she wanted, and Tat admitted to not being a huge fan of straight shots. She liked things fruity, but since this was the rodeo, she knew she was out of luck. She was fine with a soda, maybe one or two shots of tequila. William nodded and before she knew it he was coming back, handing her a coke and a shot. 

"Thanks," Tatiana hummed, tipping back her shot before sipping her soda. 

"My pleasure," he countered. He leaned back against the wall of straw they had chosen as their conversation area, much too big to sit on any of the benches and very much just wanting to be alone with her. 

William’s mind was still racing from earlier. He'd been trying to figure out if he was maybe just horny or something to explain why he'd felt so… infatuated, but nothing had come forwards as a clear answer. Hed even wondered if it was his rut, and he was peaking early. But no, it wasn't that. It was something different, and he couldn't place it.

He couldn't explain why he felt so strongly when they talked. There was no reason why he should. They barely knew each other, just two pretty faces that happened across each other by chance. But, even now, when she had mentioned watching him in the ring, he'd felt his chest swell with pride as she complimented him for winning his match. 

And it was asinine. He received praise like that countless times, from anyone and everyone. Yet, hearing her say it made him feel **_good_**. 

William watched her as she sipped her coke, both amused and further convinced there was something wrong with him. She looked cute, nursing her drink through a bendy straw. 

_Cute_. 

He hadn't wanted to tell a woman she was cute for a long time. They preferred to be called sexy, and were usually trying to crawl into his metaphorical pants and sit on his knot rather than have a drink with him or converse. Granted, he hadn't really wanted to talk either. Drinks were just a way to meet a willing body, usually.

Except today. 

Sure, he wanted to ask her if maybe she wanted to rethink his offer for a private lesson, so he could get to see what she looked like when she wasn't dressed to impress. But it felt… wrong. 

Wrong to want to just skip to sex. 

It boggled his mind the more he mused on it. He wasn't shy about sex, never had been. But to just jump into bed with her felt like a sin. He wanted to, but after there was some rapport between them. Like, he needed to make sure he wanted to commit.

Tatiana flicked her eyes up to him and he felt like she had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. He cleared his throat.

"Are you just here for tonight?" William realized as soon as the words left his mouth that he hoped her answer was no. He hadn't even considered that she might just be there for one day, here to have a little fun, flirt, and then run. Lots of people were that way, but he suddenly wished that she wasn't one of those.

Tatiana shook her head, and he felt his shoulders relax. "No, I'm actually volunteering until Sunday, then I'm competing."

William tilted his head. "You're showing? Under what?"

"Cow work. Just waiting for my partner to show up but he's not in till that morning."

"Only seen cow work done a few times. Do you like it?" William asked. Her smile spoke volumes all by itself. 

"I love it, actually. Horses, cattle… they've been my thing for a long time." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "What about you?"

"I have shows every day. Trying to rack up as many points as possible."

"So you're in the Pro circuit?" Tatiana asked him, and he nodded. "Wow. Have you gone to any of the big shows?"

William shrugged, but inside he couldn't deny that he was soaking up her interest. She seemed genuinely into the conversation. He liked that. 

"I have. Vegas, Chicago. Houston."

His companion leaned back a bit, eyebrows up as he listed off his passport. "Huh. You weren't kidding."

"Nope."

"Well… you're good. You've got talent." A pause. "I hope you get to the big leagues again. But, by your point count, I'd say you're already there."

She laughed, a faint blush darkening her cheeks. William wasn't sure if it was from the shot she'd taken, or of it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. Either way, he was determined to keep _this_...going.

They talked for a long while more, William occasionally stopping to get more drinks. The conversation was easy, and they got back to their playful banter from earlier in the day when they had first met.

William learned quite a bit in the span of time they talked. She was 25, had a degree in business and spent her summer's working for various rodeos and showing. She liked spicy food, dogs, and hated smoking. Most importantly, she didn't mention a boyfriend, even when he had set up the conversation to let it slip naturally. He felt pretty good about it, and judging by the way she was casually returning his flirting, he was in the clear to pursue.

"Do you want to, I dunno, meet up for drinks again, tomorrow?" He asked, practically purring. He'd been drinking too, so he was feeling pretty confident. His pretty companion giggled. 

"Sure. But, I should probably get going," Tatiana answered. She had drunk a bit more than she had first intended, but that wasn't a bad thing. William was super nice, and obviously putting on the charm. She felt comfortable around him. "I gotta get up early. Chores and stuff."

The angel nodded. "I forgot about that," he admitted, looking around. It was just them now, the rest of the people from before having cleared out some time ago. Even the trucks had closed their shutters. "It is pretty late."

William looked back at her, noted how she was openly facing him, comfortable. He pondered if he should just ask her to skip going to her place, and follow him to his instead.

But that guilty feeling returned again, and he thought against it. Why rush? Things were going smooth, and she was going to be there all weekend. He didn't mind buttering her up a bit more before making his final move.

"Do you want me to walk you back?" The grounds were relatively safe, but he wasn't sure he wanted to bet on that one hundred perfect. What he considered safe as an eight foot angel was DRASTICALLY different from what she considered safe, he was positive on that. 

"No, I'm okay," Tatiana replied, and he blinked in surprise. She shrugged her shoulders at his look. "It's not too far from my car. I'm not worried."

"Oh," William said. Well, there went that act of Chivalry. Still, he wasn't really that surprised. She was scrappy. She didn't need to be coddled. "Is it okay if I walk you halfway? My trailer is back by the barn. Same direction as you."

Tatiana chuckled. "Sure, big boy. I'll walk you home."

The little murr of delight that erupted from his throat was equal parts embarrassing and involuntary. If Tat heard, she didn't point it out, only gestured with her head that they should get going. She was tired, and William supposed that, once the thrill of her little declaration wore off, that he was tired too.

She walked him to the barn, companionable silence stretching between them the whole way. Once there, they parted ways, and William made sure to watch until she was out of sight before making his way to his trailer. He loaded up and used his magic to conjure his bed and other belongings once inside. 

His trailer was actually a stock trailer, because he was too massive to fit in any car or van. It wasn't unusual though. Plenty of Broncos owned their own horse trailers or rented ones to travel for shows. Cars were too small and RV's too expensive. 

And, if the angel was good at Magic, like William, then it made things twice as convenient. In an instant his trailer was cozy and comfortable, complete with a bed, little bedside table and lamp. He did have some mess laying around in the form of gear for his shows, but he just kicked the boxes out of the way and made his way towards his bed. 

Shedding his shirt, he tossed it to the side, and crawled onto the mattress to rest. As he fell asleep, the sounds of the crickets outside serenading him with their chirps, he dreamed of asking her out, and what she might say.


	3. Jessie's Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie's got himself a girl... and Will's not happy.

It was Saturday, and Tat was mildly regretting staying up so late last night when she knew her chores started at 6 am.

With both a lack of sleep and a lack of caffeine to get her going, she took a bit longer than she would've liked getting to the barn to start turning out horses and mucking stalls. 

The show schedule for today was much more fast paced, hence the need for an early start. The rodeo would actually start at around 11 am and go till 5 with all the extra entertainment and events that had been packed into the schedule. Bronco Busting was supposed to start around 1, given that the barrel racers finished on time and there were no accidents. 

Tatiana eventually got into a groove after an hour or so of constant yawning and feeling super tired. She mucked out her set of stalls, fed her assigned horses, and then set about helping anyone else who was falling behind.

It was around ten thirty when she was entering the arena, huge western saddle in hand. A friend of hers was competing and, while warming up, her horse's cinch had snapped. She had asked Tat if she could run back and get her her extra saddle from her tack box. Tatiana had agreed, and was taking a shortcut to the back to get there faster when she heard someone call out to her from the ring.

Tatiana looked over in confusion. Her friend was still in the back, where the waiting stalls were. There was really no reason for anyone to be calling her. She furrowed her brow before she heard the voice again, and then noticed who it was.

Well, how could she miss him?

It was William, looking like he had had a much better sleep than her. He was wearing a new shirt today, a light blue button down and a matching bolo tie. Tatiana thought the outfit was cute and she allowed herself to wait for him to approach the fence.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey. Are you… are you busy, by chance?"

Tatiana tilted her head. She shifted the saddle in her arms. "I have to go drop this off but after that, no. Why? Need something?"

William nodded. "Yeah. I was wondering if you could maybe spot my exercise rider," he said. His nose crinkled, as if upset as he continued, "My usual guy couldn't make it."

Tatiana looked behind William and noticed the collective group of bronco's, most of then with riders, jogging or walking about the ring. There were a few just sitting and chatting, like the two only a few feet from them, but she could see why his rider calling in upset his routine.

"Sure," she said. She motioned towards the saddle. "Lemme just go give this to my friend and I'll be right back."

William smiled, and she felt her ears get a little hot at the gesture. 

He was very handsome. Tall, chiseled good looks. He was mesmerizing and exotic the more she looked at him. 

"Perfect. You're the best," he said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh please," she said, shaking her head with amusement as she left him behind to give her friend her heavy ass saddle.

It didn't take long for her to drop it off, her friend thankful for the help. In total, she was back within 5 minutes, and William was right where she left him. 

He saw her coming and met her at the gate, where he crouched down for her to get on. A few angels were looking at them strangely, as if confused as to why she was there, but she had a feeling William gave them a mean look because they were soon looking everywhere but at them.

Huh.

"So, what do you need me to do?" She was looking at the others, but everyone seemed to have their own routine.

William squeezed her knees with his hands. "Not much. I just need the extra body mass to get my muscles primed," he said. "I carry people. I can't really get a full warm up unless I practice like I'm actually doing it."

"Ah. Got it. So, you need the fat chick to sit on you, is that what you're saying?" Tat mused aloud, humor lacing her words. William, however, must have missed her joke, because he stopped walking and turned his head to look at her. 

"What?" He asked, and Tat was surprised by how upset he sounded. Like she had kicked his dog. "I… I don't think you're fat."

Oh. Well, this was awkward. 

"Sorry. I was just joking," she said, not having expected needing to apologize for her own self deprecating humor. It was second nature to her at this point. 

Tatiana had long since come to terms with her full figure. She wasn't overly chubby, but she pushed the 210 mark weight wise. Thankfully most of it went to her thighs, hips, and breasts, but when standing next to most of the girls at the rodeo, she was aware she was not the American ideal of beauty. She wasn't all legs and A cups and a flat tummy. It had used to get her down, until she stopped fretting, and just tried to be happy with herself. 

Humor was her best tactic with making people realize she was comfortable. She wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but she was happy and that was it. Joking broke the ice. 

Usually.

William, apparently, had taken her words to heart.

"Did someone say that you were?" He asked, oddly quiet. 

Tatiana was confused. Were they really doing this? 

"Will, I'm fine," she said, leaning forwards to make direct eye contact. "I was just joking. I'm fine, really." She smiled. "You're awful worried about me. Does this mean we're friends now?"

She saw his cheeks tinge pink, his green eyes look away. She giggled. "Aww, did I manage to snag the most popular Pro Bronco as a buddy?" 

"Hush, you," William muttered, starting to walk again. Tatiana settled back on his shoulders resting her arms on his head in a comical fashion as he proceeded around the ring again. 

"I did. Hmm, I guess I had better be careful. Your gaggle of Buckle Bunnies might take me as a threat."

"Buckle bunnies? What are you talking about?" William snorted, wondering if she was just teasing him again. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she was suddenly whispering in his ear, her lips brushing the sensitive appendage as she spoke.

"I'm talking about your adoring public," she whispered, WIlliam shuddering from the proximity. Suddenly he was hot under the collar, and it wasn't because the AC wasn't on. 

She mentioned looking into the stands, and he did, noticing the group of girls, a mixture of both angel and human, sitting there and watching him practice. He accidently made eye contact with them and they swooned as though he had told them he loved them. 

Oh. That's what she meant.

She sat back up, patted his head like he was a puppy and not a 300 pound angel with enough strength in his pinky finger to break a grown adult man's arm. "Again, I better watch myself. But it looks like you might have pick of the litter tonight when it comes to company, if you catch my drift."

William did, but he wasn't sure she knew who he would pick. 

Tatiana squeezed him with her thighs, clucking her tongue. It stirred him out of his stupor to move forwards, and then he was frowning because did she really just talk to him like he was a horse?

"Oh, you're asking for it," he growled playfully, giving a few bunny hops in retaliation. His rider squealed, and he laughed. 

Well, it was payback for now. 

XxX

They had drinks again that night. William had bucked off his second rider once again, so he was in a good mood. His points were stacking up, and he was sure to be in a good place come the next rodeo.

He and Tatiana were chewing the cud, Tatiana in on a rant about how she didn't think Hackamores should be looked down upon in the western equestrian sports league. William didn't really know what she was talking about, but he enjoyed seeing how passionate she could get. 

She was all spitfire and sass. He liked it.

He was listening to her talk, the mixture of alcohol and his growing affection for her letting him get lost in her eyes easily. 

She didn't notice, too busy talking, but he was taking in all the little details, saving them for later. 

Maybe he would ask her tonight. Waste the night savoring each other's bodies and then spend Sunday morning wrapped up in his sheets until she had to get up. And then he'd go watch her ride her horse, cheer her on and fight the judges if they gave her a bad score-

"Hey babe."

A masculine voice jerked William roughly back to reality, made his hackles raise. He couldn't help the swell of anger that unfurled in his chest as he noted Tat had stopped talking and was looking somewhere behind him. 

Was some creep trying to butt in? 

He turned to see, to firmly tell the unwanted guest that they were _busy_. 

And that's when he noticed that he recognized this stranger. And he was no stranger at all. 

It was his friend, Jessie. 

"Jessie?" He called out and the other angel was beaming at him, apparently not having recognized him at first either.

"Well I'll be damned. Is that you, Will?"

Jessie was an angel too. But while William was tall and dark haired, Jessie was golden and tanned. He stood about 6'2, broad shoulders and a dazzling white smile with a square jaw. His lower half was more bull than horse, and his fur was golden like his hair, with some white countershading on the inside of his legs. He was built like a barrel, tough as nails and had a booming personality to match.

"Haven't seen you in a hot minute," William said as he and Jessie met in a clasping of arms, an old handshake brought over from Heaven. 

Jessie laughed. "Been busy on the west coast. Busting my ass to get to the Congress," he informed William, and then looked behind his friend to spy at Tatiana. 

William caught him staring, almost went to introduce Tatiana to his friend. But when he turned to do so, Tat was already approaching Jessie, and Jessie was biting his lip in anticipation. 

It was like time slowed for William as the world unfurled its sick joke, the one it had been saving up just for him. And he almost didn't want to believe it. Told himself it couldn't be true as the two closed the space between each other.

But when he saw Tatiana slot into Jessie's arms, and Jessie hold her tight, he knew. 

Knew that his dreams had been shattered, right in front of him. 


	4. Cow Barns and Fist Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie's a punk bitch.

"Been missing you, baby," Jessie cooed to Tatiana, the petite woman smiling and giving him a kiss in turn.

"Missed you too," she hummed, and William felt dirty. 

Dirty for wanting it to be him she was kissing on, and dirty for feeling angry that it wasn't. 

How could he have missed this? 

He had been thorough, given her plenty of opportunity to state that she was seeing someone. She had never dropped a name, never hinted that she was in a relationship. Part of him wanted to be mad that she hadn't, that she had strung him along for the past few days. But that anger was stamped out as quickly as it had come. 

She had never denied being in a relationship either, and flirting was obviously part of her personality. Her humor was salacious, just like his.

He couldn't blame her when he had never asked.

Jessie and Tatiana spent a few more moments rubbing noses before Jessie was pulling away to grin at his friend and gesture to his girlfriend. "I guess you've met Tat. You two been staying out of trouble?" 

Tatiana chuckled. "William's been a gentleman," she said, looking over at William, who was trying hard not to look hurt. 

He smiled, forcefully. "She was just telling me about Hackamores," he said, and Jessie started laughing.

"She loves her ponies. Don't ya, baby?" 

"Hmmm," Tatiana hummed, and William didn't like how Jessie called her baby.

Jessie, however, was blind to William's turmoil. He was busy looking Tatiana up and down, giving her ass a squeeze through her jeans and slotting his hand into her back pocket after. "Think we should get going. Just had the worst trailer ride over, and I've been sleeping by myself for weeks," were his next words. "You don't mind, do ya Will?"

_ Yes,  _ William thought in his head.

"No, it's fine. It's late anyway, I won't keep you," was what came out of his mouth, and Jessie was waggling his eyebrows at him in thanks. 

There weren't any more goodbyes as Jessie dragged Tatiana off to his lair, leaving William to find his own way back to his trailer alone.

As soon as they were gone, William felt his chest ache. Like he'd been kicked by a steer, but deeper, somewhere no outward bruise could reach. His throat felt tight, but his stomach was churning with disgust.

Jessie was a friend. An old, old friend. He had been one of the first angels William had met when he had decided to plunge into the world of western sports and join the humans on earth. Much to his parents' dismay, of course. Jessie had only lived on earth for a few months when William had immigrated, and the two had been inseparable for years as they navigated day to day human life. 

It was only recently Jessie had branched off, started doing other sports that meant he and William saw each other less and less. He was like a brother to William, a friend that he had thought he could only feel joy when around his person. 

But tonight had quickly changed that.

William did not like to be petty. He would much rather let bygones be bygones and live in the moment. But Tatiana apparently evoked something inside him that made him want Jessie to disappear off the face of the earth for good. 

It was like he had known William had been testing the waters and had waited till the last possible second to swoop in and stake his claim. He knew that was stupid and illogical, but it was the best way to describe how devastated he felt.

And for what? William knew he shouldn't have been feeling this frustrated to begin with! He and Tatiana barely knew each other. Besides the arena and drinks they didn't see one another, didn't text or have any lasting backstory that should give him even one iota of right to feel so  _ wronged _ .

But he did. And he blamed Jessie.

Jessie had taunted him, felt Tatiana up in front of him like she was a piece of meat. He'd been showing her off, showing off the intimacy William had been thinking about for the last two days. 

He played the whole thing back in his head as he started to stalk his way to his trailer, getting angrier and angrier the more he did so. Each rendition was worse than the last, until his subconscious had convinced him that Jessie had basically fucked her in front of him and flipped him off while doing it 

_ I need to get a grip, _ William thought to himself as he approached his trailer. Every muscle in his body was tense. 

He wanted to kick something, let off steam. He felt like he was going insane.

_ She's allowed to have a boyfriend,  _ he thought.  _ You never asked. Why would she just bring it up? She doesn't have to tell you her whole life story. _

No. But it would have dulled the sting, at least a little. 

Suddenly, the fight was gone, replaced by weary sadness and exhaustion. 

He was getting worked up over nothing but his own negligence. Tatiana had never breached the gap to suggest she wanted anything more than friendship, and he had never asked her if she was single. Jessie was just the final piece to the puzzle, and he had his answer. 

She was taken. And he would respect that.

William dragged his hand over his face, tired. He needed to lay down, not think for a bit. He was probably feeling this way because of all the booze from earlier too. 

In the morning he'd have a clearer head.

He conjured his bed, and fell face first into it, determined to sleep until morning.

  
  


XxX

  
  


The next day, William had a raging headache. 

Seemed he had drunk a bit too much, and his fit of rage had probably only exasperated it. He decided today was the day he wore a hat. He needed to shield his eyes from the sun to keep himself from getting crankier than he already was.

By the time he left his trailer, it was maybe around 9 am, given the amount of people that were milling around when he reached the main show grounds. He stopped by one of the food trucks to grab a coffee and nursed it as he decided where he wanted to sulk until his draw for partners. 

He found a relatively quiet spot near the cattle barn with plenty of cover from the sun. There was a stack of hay there too, which William took for use as a seat until he had to go back to the arena. 

His coffee was still pretty hot, but not enough to scald. He took slow sips of it, letting his eyes droop and his mind go blank.

This was better. Yesterday was starting to feel more and more like a bad dream. 

He was content to continue this routine, avoiding people and his feelings, when who should come out from one of the cattle stalls, but Jessie.

William wrinkled his nose, staying quiet. Maybe if he was silent and didn't move, Jessie wouldn't notice he was there. He would have never thought he would be hiding from his best friend, but here he was.

William watched as Jessie looked to be talking to someone just out of sight. It was obviously another person, William could see hands flailing about as they talked, but he couldn't make out the conversation. Too much noise from the cows to make anything out, and his head was still hurting. 

In any case, Jessie stepped away from the barn and started heading around the back way. The meeting was brief, but William couldn't help but feel slightly suspicious. 

Why was Jessie poking around the cow barn? He liked steaks and hamburgers but wanted nothing to do with the actual animals besides when he was running them down the fence. And who was he talking to? William wondered if it was maybe Tat, because she did work the horses and the cows, but the hands didn't look like hers. 

Wow… it was kind of sad that he could tell her hands from someone else's…

His mind started to wander, quickly traveling back down the steep road of misery he had concocted last night. The feelings of that night also came dredging up from the depths, and he had to slam on the mental brakes to keep himself from spiraling. 

No. No. He was not going to do this. 

Jessie and Tatiana were a couple and they had every right to be. He needed to keep his nose out of it. 

He sighed, went back to sipping his coffee. 

He just had to make it through today, and then tomorrow….

Tomorrow he'd be moving on.

XxX

William received his partner draw for the last buck off of the weekend. He didn't know the guy, and he honestly didn't care. He was contemplating not even trying in the chute tonight. He wasn't feeling any motivation to show off or get points or… anything.

He just wanted to get back to his trailer, and sulk. 

He left the arena as soon as he knew his partner number. To avoid the crowds, and possibly Tatiana, he went back around towards the livestock barn. It was quiet there, and less people to run into. Plus, it would give him time to decide if he wanted to sleep until the show, or stare at the ceiling of his trailer until the void consumed him. Either way, he was going to lay flat on his back and not move for the next several hours.

As he approached the cow barn, and the extra feed shed that was attached to it for storage of grain and medicine, his sensitive ears picked up on sounds that were not bovine in nature. 

It took him only a second to recognize them, and his stomach violently churned in disgust.

Usually it would not have bothered him. He was a salacious creature, a regular partaker in the sins of the flesh. But after last night, the idea of any intimate contact made him feel ill.

He moved to walk by as quickly as possible, to save his ears and his digestive system more discomfort. 

And then he heard a familiar voice.

" _ Does that feel good, baby? _ "

Surely he was mad. Surely he was imagining things. The voice. That voice. It kept ringing in his ears, cruel and taunting. Haunting his thoughts. 

An accompanying growl told him, no, he wasn't imagining it. To his horror, this was happening right now, and he was hearing it. 

He waited, expecting to hear Tatiana's appreciative moans in reply. He wasn't sure what would happen when he did. If he was freaking out over learning that they were lovers then would he break hearing them in ecstasy?  _ Her _ in ecstasy?

And again,  _ why?  _

_ Why did he care so much? _

Deep down, part of him knew. And the answer was terrifying, so he pretended to ignore the little sliver of truth that was buried deep in his subconscious. 

He couldn't deal with that right now on top of everything else.

But he still waited, as if he needed the confirmation that he was doomed. He waited to hear her sultry voice, wanton and strung out from pleasure-

"Fuck yeah," some other voice whined back, grating, irritating.

And  **not** Tatiana's.

William may have been chest deep in several issues he had to work out, but only an idiot would mistake that voice for Tatiana's. She did not sound like nails on a chalkboard, high pitched yet nasally at the same time. 

Feral rage consumed him for a split second, William connecting the dots with what he had just heard. It was definitely Jessie in that shed, but it was not Tatiana who was sharing his company. 

_ He's cheating,  _ he thought to himself. There was no other reason. 

His mind was a flurry of thoughts, William trying to decide what he should do. His first instinct was to rip the door off the shed and catch the two red handed. It would befit the crime they were committing, and being publicly humiliated might be enough to stave off the intense anger he was feeling in that moment, but not forever. 

And while that somewhat solved the problem of dealing with Jessie, there was still Tatiana. 

What… what would he say? And what would she do? Would she think he was lying? 

He would never lie to her. He didn't know why, but he just wouldn't. 

She deserved the truth. And someone better than Jessie.

He made up his mind. He was going to open that door and catch them both, give Jessie a black eye as a reminder that he was a punk bitch, and then-

He stopped halfways because the shed door was opening of its own accord. A woman popped out, fixing her crop top and jean skirt, before paling when she noticed William just a few feet away. She scurried off, Jessie stumbling out of the shed after her, almost too big to fit through the door.

"No kiss goodbye?" He called after her, not having seen William yet. When the girl didn't turn around, Jessie just shrugged his shoulders, and went to go the opposite way. 

Only to run smack dab into his best friend.

"Oh, hey Will."

Hey Will? 

_ Hey Will? _

William was shaking, furious. He had literally just caught Jessie with his dick out and the man didn't even care. Didn't even bat an eye. 

Did he think he was okay with it? That he thought sleeping around was no big deal, something that men just did and shouldn't be held accountable for? William would agree that as long as there were no strings attached it didn't matter, but to openly declare that you were in a relationship, and then go behind that woman's back and get freaky in a fucking feed shed?

Oh no. 

Jessie was definitely mistaken.

"What are you doing?" William ground out between clenched teeth.

Jessie blinked. "What?" When William gave him an incredulous look he seemed to connect the dots. "Oh,  _ her _ ? She's just a friend."

"A friend?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

Was he daft? Crazy? Maybe he had Moon Sickness. Maybe he was out of his mind and that's why he thought that being caught with another woman was just an "oopsie, lol" moment. William wasn't sure, but he was trying really hard not to snap. 

"Aren't you with Tatiana?" He spat. 

Jessie shrugged, fixing his shirt. "Yeah."

"Then why are you with that knot chaser?" 

Jessie looked at William, a look of genuine confusion on his face. "Why do you care, Will? Its just sex. She was an adoring fan. Said she'd been following me all the way from LA."

"Because… because you're in a relationship." William snorted like a bull. "Jesus- What's so hard to understand? You can't go telling people you're dating someone and then go fuck random pussy right after." He gestured towards his friend, Jessie's entire dick still out and flopping in the wind. 

"At least put your fucking knot back in your sheathe. Christ, you didn't even clean up."

The other angel just stared at William as if he was the one who was crazy, and if possible it made William even more upset. Now he really was going to hit him. He was going to knock his fucking lights out and leave him with his dick out for everyone to find later. 

"Are you going to tell her?" Jessie's voice suddenly reached him, and William did not appreciate the tone it took. 

He looked at his friend, noted how Jessie wasn't playing dumb anymore. He was staring William down, actively attempting to dominate him. Angels were a pack hierarchy, they did have omega and alpha and beta dynamics in their society. Jessie's tactic was not out of the way by any means, but the problem was that William was also an alpha, and the stare didn't make him cower, but rather only make him madder.

"You care all of a sudden?" William snipped, curling his lip. 

"I care about you ruining a good fuck," Jessie growled back. He approached William and closed the space between them so that they were no more than a foot apart. "I could smell how much you were lusting after Tat, William. You may as well have pissed on her. But shes my bitch, and I plan on keeping it that way for a while longer. Keep your nose out of my business and we won't have an issue."

Jessie's smile turned toothy, the shorter alpha baring his canines as he added, "Maybe I'll toss her your way after. You can have my  **_sloppy seconds_ ** ."

A savage snarl ripped out of William's throat, the angel completely enraged. He was fine with jabs aimed at his own person, but when Jessie talked about  _ her  _ like she wasn't a person, was just a fucking sex toy-

" **You fucking bitch-** " he started, voice an animalistic combination of growling and English. He was going to rip Jessie's throat out and roll in his blood afterwards. The Angel deserved it. He fucking deserved it.

He went to do it, to sink all four sets of claws into Jessie for his insolence. But their fight was interrupted by a staff person storming towards them, asking why the fuck they were yelling and creating a racket.

The sudden confrontation was enough to stir both angels out of their fight for the most part. Jessie started to apologize, easily removing himself from his rage. William supposed it was because he wasn't really upset. He was just toying with him, as he had done numerous times before in the past. 

William wasn't finding it so easy. He was pissed, Jessie's words having hit several nerves. But the staff member telling them to get their shit together was enough distraction to let him walk off and head somewhere else to cool down. 

He had to get himself under control. Him being in a Rage would do nothing but make things worse. Humans didn't appreciate when alphas lashed out. It fed their stereotypes and he was not in the mood to give the xenophobes more ammo for their cannons.

But most importantly he had to think of how he was going to approach Tatiana about this. She deserved to know. He wasn't sure if she would believe him, but at least she would know. 

William made a beeline straight for his trailer, to get away from Jessie, and come up with a plan.

  
  


XxX

  
  


Tatiana sighed. 

She was beginning to think the boys were avoiding her. 

She hadn't seen Jessie all morning, compared to last night where he had barely let her leave the bed and fucked her six ways to Sunday. He kept saying how much he missed her, and how much he thought about her while he was away. 

Well, she wasn't believing those words right then.

But, she supposed Jessie was busy getting acquainted with the show grounds. He liked to do that kind of thing, make his rounds and let everyone know that he was back in town. 

He was worse than a rooster, with all the crowing he did.

Tat had supposed that meant she would probably see William more than Jessie. Which was good. She had wanted to talk to him about yesterday. The usually cocky bronc had looked… sad, when Jessie had appeared out of nowhere. She hadn't even been able to say goodnight either, because Jessie had dragged her off. 

She wanted to clear the air, give him her number. She liked William, and definitely wanted to keep in touch. She knew he was busy, but maybe he would be alright with texting in between his shows.

Try as she might, however, William was also proving to be illusive. It was frustrating to no end. 

She gave up her search by the afternoon, tired of looking and aware she had to get ready. She and Jessie were set to show soon. 

If he showed up. With how scarce he was, she wouldn't be surprised if he scratched. 

She decided to go check, just to save herself the trouble. Sure enough, she was glad she had, because her and Jessie were both crossed out on the entry board. 

Huh. She wasn't surprised, but she still wished she knew why. 

Still, at least she didn't have to worry about making a show. She was tired, and honestly, she wanted to watch William's last buck off more than she wanted to compete. 

She spent the day more or less bumming around the arena, watching the warm ups and other classes. Jessie still hadn't shown his face, and William was absent from the warm ups too.

Maybe they were catching up. It had seemed like they hadn't seen each other in quite some time. They were probably off somewhere talking and honestly, she was okay with that. Jessie and Will both seemed like social creatures. There was no reason to worry.

Eventually the main event for the night was upon them. The broncos were making their way towards their chutes, forming orderly lines and relaxing until it was their turn. Tat had managed to snag a seat basically near the dug out and was able to watch each and every Bronco as they either walked by to get in their chutes, or if they were loading up directly in front of her. 

She was watching a red headed man wait for his bronco to get in the chute before climbing up the rails when she heard voices directly below her, sounding much louder than the general clamor and interlude music that was filling the stadium in the background. 

Tatiana glanced down, and realized it was William. But while the dark haired angel was usually smiling and relaxed, even from her position she could tell he was  **mad** .

His entire outline was stiff, from his shoulders to the way he was aggressively folding his four arms across his chest. Even his jaw looked sharper than usual. She unconsciously leaned forwards, moving her hair back behind her ear to get a better listen at the conversation William was having with one of the show coordinators.

"You can't scratch," the coordinator was saying. "Its way too late. You're our third runner, William."

"I don't want to," was William reply, short and snappy. "I'm not in a good headspace right now."

"So? Why is that my problem? Or your riders?" The coordinator tapped his clipboard with the back of his hand, as if doing so would change William's mind. "You can't scratch two minutes before you're on. I don't care if you're having a bad day."

"I said, I'm not doing it. I'm not getting in the chute."

"Well you either get in the chute, or I'm citing you for your shit you pulled earlier today."

William stiffened at the coordinators threat. Tatiana tilted her head. Citation? It didn't seem like William to get into trouble...

"You don't even know what the fuck happened," William was biting back, and the coordinator was shaking his head.

"Listen, I dont give two shits about why two alphas decided to fucking start a fight, but the other one said you started it and I'm inclined to believe him if you don't get in the fucking chute."

The coordinator finished his rant, pointing towards William's box. It was the one right in front of her seat, and Tat honestly wasn't sure if she believed what she was hearing. 

She knew that show coordinators had a stressful job, but to deny a scratch was pretty outlandish. Everyone always assumed a risk of not competing when it was partner events like this, or the one she had planned to do with Jessie. If William wasn't feeling well, he was allowed to say no.

Or, so she thought.

She watched as William looked like he was torn between punching the coordinator or kicking him. Deep set frown lines were making his forehead wrinkle, but he ultimately didn't hurt the coordinator. Instead, he turned and walked into the chute and stood there, arms crossed and face still twisted into its scowl.

Something was definitely wrong, Tatiana concluded. She had never seen William upset, but she had a feeling that it took a lot to set him off. Whatever happened must've been a lot.

She stood up, leaned over the railing to call out to him. "Will!"

He didn't react at first, too deep in thought, but the third try was the charm and he finally looked over in her direction.

"Are you okay?" She shouted over the crowd and the music, hoping he heard her. His face softened some, before it morphed into something that was more sad than angry. He moved to leave the chute, as if to approach her and talk, but the moment he did the chute was closing, and his rider was climbing the gate to get on his shoulders. 

Immediately she saw the stony scowl from earlier slide back onto William's face. Only, this time, she was actually scared.

Not for herself. But for his rider.

The announcer went through his spiel, hyped up the crowd by rattling off names and stats. By the time he was finished, Tat was certain someone was going to get hurt. William definitely did not look happy and did not look like he was in the mood for any sort of shit.

And she was right.

As soon as they pulled open the chute door that faced the arena, William was tearing out of there. But instead of giving his bucking buddy a chance to build some points for style, William just planted his hooves and rocked forwards so fast his rider didn't even know what hit him.

Literally. 

William hadn't traveled far from the chute, and the angle was just so that when he did send his rider flying off his back, he hit the metal chute door full force.

The crowd gasped, having not expected such a thing. William didn't care, didn't stop to check and see if his rider was seriously hurt. He just made eye contact with her from her seat, before storming towards the gate and making his way towards the alleyway that lead to the cattle stalls in the back.

Fuck. Something was definitely wrong.

Tatiana hurried out of her seat and ran down the stairs as fast as she could to dugout level, the announcer's voice and the upset crowd fading away as she dipped into the hallway. The alleyway was pretty packed, but she managed to make it to the back without much trouble, and nearly reached Will. 

But he had long legs and looked like he was on a mission. She fell behind for a bit, and she had to hustle to keep up. She caught up to him just in time to see him vault over one of the fences that kept the cows separate from each other and deck, who else, but Jessie square in the jaw.

The resounding thud was enough to alert everyone in the immediate vicinity of the fight, and a buckle bunnies high pitched scream was enough to alert the rest. Tatiana just found herself full of shock at the sight as Jessie got his ass handed to him in seconds, despite landing a few good hits in return for the initial onslaught.

"Will, what are you doing?!" She screamed once she had her voice back, climbing through the stock gates to get to the two alphas. 

William had Jessie by the shirt, knuckles bloody from Jessie's broken nose as he tried to pound the other angels face in. He only stopped because she started tugging on one of his arms, trying to separate the two despite being the last person that should attempt to do so. 

"Will, what the fuck is going on?" Tatiana huffed once the pounding stopped, moving to shield Jessie from further injury. The golden alpha was sprawled out in the hay, still conscious but barely, and William was looming over him. She caught William's attention, noticed how blank his face looked, and instantly paled. 

Oh shit.

He was in a Rage. 

And she was in the middle of it.

Rage was what people referred to when an Alpha angel more or less became violent. It usually referred to times of extreme violence, like what was happening right in front of her, but humans tended to generalize it to mean any act of aggression. 

William however, was definitely deep in it and so was Jessie, his teeth bared in a silent snarl despite losing miserably. Tatiana wondered how quickly she might be able to throw herself out of harms way should William decide to keep moving again, but at the sight of her it seemed to throw him off and bring him back to the present, at least somewhat.

His eyes looked at her for a moment, something shimmering behind them, before they hardened and slid back to Jessie.

" **_Tell her,"_ ** the angel said to Jessie, and Tatiana felt herself shiver. Fuck, that was intense. She almost wanted to piss herself she was so scared.

Behind her, defiant as always, Jessie wheezed. " **_No._ ** "

That was not the answer William wanted. He snarled, a final warning and both Tat and Jessie flinched at the roar. 

Jessie was gasping again behind her, nose full of blood, but this time, it sounded more like a laugh. " **_Fine,"_ ** she heard him start. 

**_"I cheated on you,"_ ** was Jessie's confession, ground out from between clenched teeth. The crowd that had gathered to try and separate the two warring males gasped in reaction, a collective murmur of upset rippling through the area.

Tatiana wasn't sure if she believed her ears.

Cheating? That's what this was about?

Tatiana felt her face flame, embarrassment tingling her cheeks and making her whole body feel as though she was covered in pins and needles. People were whispering, talking about it, and she felt even more embarrassed if it was possible.

What she wouldn't give to have the ground swallow her whole. At least then she could work through this humiliation without an audience. 

William released Jessie, offered her a soft sound in the hopes of comfort. It didn't work, and she found herself getting up, backing away. 

This was all too much.

William looked hurt that she was running from him and she knew that that as probably the worst thing she could do. Alphas could be unpredictable when they were in a Rage, their heads not thinking straight. But she needed to get away, to sort through the mess that she was suddenly confronted with. Tatiana didn't say anything as she got up and slipped back through the bars of the gate, pushed past the crowd and made a beeline for the exit. 

She heard commotion behind her shortly after, mostly shouts saying "stop" or "hold on" and she knew William was following her. 

Her thoughts were confirmed as he called out her name, much less feral than before, but still tinged with Rage.

Tatiana didn't answer him. She kept walking, stomped her way across the fairgrounds. People got out of her way for the most part, as if sensing she was upset. She didn't stop until she made it to a semi secluded area out in the middle of the parking lot, and took a second to breathe.

She heard William slowly approach from behind, his hoof-falls slow and wary, as thought she was the one who had almost tried to kill Jessie. 

"What?" She snapped, still angry and frustrated and embarrassed, all at once. 

"...I… I'm sorry," was Williams' response, soft and sad. 

God. She did not need this right now.

Tatiana sucked her teeth, sharp. "You couldn't just tell me in private?"

She whipped around to look at him, wanted him to know just how embarrassed she was. It was fucking humiliating, what had happened. Being outed like that, even though she wasn't the one who was cheating. William cowed under her gaze as soon as she made eye contact, looking at the asphalt rather than her. 

_ Submissive _ , his posture screamed, and Tat was pretty sure this was the first time she had seen Will try to look small.

When he didn't reply, she added, "Did you have to make a  **_goddamn_ ** scene?" 

She supposed that's what upset her the most. The fact that thew whole fucking barn now knew that Jessie was sticking his dick in other people. Jessie getting hurt didn't really matter, on account of why, but she was still angry her dirty laundry had been aired.

William flinched at her volume, but didn't defend himself. Tat found it odd, but it satisfied some part of her that wanted to yell and not have any back talk. He waited a few moments before he responded, as if not wanting to interrupt.

"I… I was trying to think of how to tell you…" he admitted. "... I caught him this morning, in the feed shed. Some random girl… I just… it made me so  **_mad_ ** ."

Tat sighed, squeezed her eyes shut as she rubbed her forehead. She was starting to get a headache. 

"Yeah, well, look what happened, Will." She sighed, suddenly tired. This was a lot. "You nearly beat him half to death..."

William had done a number in Jessie. She had thought they were friends, but apparently that was no longer the case.

" **_He challenged me first,"_ ** the alpha replied, and Tat didn't tremble at his words like she had before. It was obvious William wasn't mad at her. He was mad at Jessie. In fact, he was mad for her, which she found sweet and enduring but she was totally not interested. Not after the whole fucking rodeo knew her business.

She needed to be alone. Not to cry, because fuck Jessie. She had always had a feeling he was a little too friendly. Now she knew why. But she did need to think, and while William had gotten closer throughout their conversation, she did not want his company.

"I… I need to think," Tatiana said, shaking her head. "And you need to go… go back before they call the police or something."

"I… " William started, sounding very close. She looked up, noted that he was only a few feet from her. When they made eye contact, again, he swallowed. "Are you going to be okay?" 

He didn't want to leave. He was still thrumming from the fight, which hadn't been much of a fight at all because Jessie was all bark and no bite, but he was aware she was upset and the primal side of him, the alpha side, wanted to fix it.

William hadn't been thinking very clearly when he had decided to go find Jessie and pound him to a pulp. The idea had been wracking around in his brain ever since he had found him in the shed, but the mixture of the coordinator and then Tatiana asking him if he was okay had pushed him to just do it.

She had been concerned for him, seeing him mad in the arena. And she didn't even know that Jessie was going behind her back, taking her kindness for granted.

The Rage had made him black out, lose a bit of time in-between when he had started fighting Jessie and when Tatiana had intervened. He wanted to say how impressed he was that she would willingly throw herself into the middle of it, how brave she was for standing up to an alpha.

He did remember telling Jessie to speak, and then immediately felt guilty when he had. Her face had fallen the moment Jessie had opened his big mouth, distress marring her features as it sunk in and the crowd reacted. He had let Jessie go then, murred to her, opened his arms to offer comfort because fuck, he had fucked up. This was too public. He had  _ humiliated  _ her-

But she hadn't taken his offer. She had run away, left as quickly as possible to get away from the shame. Away from him.

William had followed her on impulse. He probably should've stayed behind, but he couldn't. He had to make sure she was alright, and fix what he had created. 

He would hold her and kiss her and do whatever she wanted, he had thought as he followed her to the parking lot. He'd make her forget all about Jessie, replace the other scent on her with his own and make it  _ right. _

But while his head, his inner alpha, had planned out the make up, Tat had her own ideas. She had barked at him, and it was justified. She told him how upset she was, how wronged she felt, and he felt  _ guiltyguiltyguilty _ . 

Apologies were all he could offer. He hadn't meant to have it backfire. He had wanted to tell her in private.

He would never hurt her on purpose...

He had inched closer and closer, Tatiana too upset to notice. Maybe if he could get closer, his alpha reasoned, she wouldn't be so upset. So mad at them. And he could fix it, make her feel better. 

His ears had drooped when she had sighed, told him she wanted to be alone. Alone was the opposite of what he wanted. He wanted to press himself against every inch of her, kiss her until she didn't feel shame any more and then bend her over the hood of her car and-

He was brought back to the present as she mentioned the police. It was sobering. He had committed a crime. There would be consequences to his actions.

He looked at her, asked her if she would be okay. She was close enough that he could touch her, could smell her shampoo and perfume. It made her final rejection that much more painful, but he acquiesced and stepped back.

Tat stood with her arms crossed, closed off, but her face was more drawn than angry. 

"You should go, Will," she said, not upset, but clear that she wanted no company. "Before you get into any more trouble."

She was right. The last of the Rage was clearing, the fresh air helping him get his head back on straight. It probably helped that he was talking to her too. Her voice was nice. Soothed the anger. But he should go back, deal with the fallout. A thought nagged at him though, prevented him from just turning and leaving.

"Can… Can I give you my number?" He asked, aware it may not be the best time to ask. Her eyebrows flew into her hairline at the question, and he quickly went about explaining.

"I- Not like that!" He said, though, yes, it was kind of like that. "I just… Jessie was an asshole, and I'm a bigger one for fucking up your night," he admitted. "But… if you need to talk? I… I really am sorry. We had a good thing going the last couple days. I… God this sounds stupid-"

Tat unfolded her arms as William babbled. She was still unhappy, but watching him struggle reminded her why she had wanted to give him her number earlier too. 

He was a good guy. His actions were misplaced and overdone, but he was good. 

"Here," she said, opening her car door. She rummaged around in the glove box, looking for a piece of paper and a pen. The best she had was an old receipt, but it would work. She scribbled down her number, and then tore a piece off and handed it to William. He seemed to catch the hint, and wrote down his before they exchanged papers. 

"There," she said, folding the scrap and tucking it into her bra. Her wallet was in the car, and she didn't want to dig around in it looking for it. 

William seemed shocked, but it quickly smoothed over. "I really am sorry," he apologized again, and Tat couldn't help but laugh, though it lacked much humor.

"Its… its fine, Will," she said softly. "I get it."

He nodded, and carefully folded her number and put it in his shirt pocket. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he heard footsteps approach. He turned, saw it was another angel. 

"Security wants to talk," the angel announced, still a good distance away. William sighed. 

Man, tonight was not a good night.

"Go on," Tatiana said, jerking her chin towards the other Bronco. "Best not draw it out."

She was right. The longer he stalled, the worse it could get. He nodded, and turned to leave. Tat saw him go, and once he had left she climbed up on the hood of her car and laid back, trying to clear her mind.


	5. End Of The Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to pack up and head out.

The meeting with show security and the cops took a long time. Jessie wasn't terribly hurt, but hurt enough. He didn't press charges though, funny enough, but both he and William were in trouble.

They both received citations, for both the almost fight earlier in the day and the full blown episode of Rage during the night. Will also got a ticket for hurting his bucking buddy, apparently having used "unreasonable force" to get him off his shoulders. Will didn't argue with the consequences. He had fucked up. He had to pay his dues. 

The final nail in the coffin was a ban. Though not permanent, it ruined his plans for the season. He was barred from entering any more shows for the next 6 months, and his points for the season were being stripped. William had to admit that that hurt more than the citations did, but he also knew there was no point in fighting it. The call to the Pro Bronco Association had been hard and swift, and the board of directors tolerated no nonsense with matters like these. William's sentence was final, and he was told to pack up his things and be gone by tomorrow.

That part didn't change his plans all that much. His trailer driver was coming by tomorrow anyway, to take him to his next rodeo. Only now, he would have to tell him he was going home instead of further west. 

William gripped the several tickets he had been given in one of his hands, another rubbing his face. Tonight was shit. Utterly. The only upside was that Jessie had gotten his face pounded in, and Tatiana had given him her number.

He reached behind his vest and dug in his shirt pocket for the little slip of carbon paper. It had been burning a hole in his pocket the whole time he had been talking to the cops and the council. Her number was still there, and William couldn't help but feel a little giddy at having received it. 

Maybe getting banned wasn't such a bad thing. At least now he would have a clear schedule to see if he still had a chance with Tat.

He frowned a little as he remembered he had left her by her car. No doubt she was still upset. She had every right to be, but he didn't like the idea of her stewing in her own thoughts. She was a happy person. She didn't like to be angry.

He decided he would do his best to make sure her night ended better than it had started. He stopped by the food vendors, purchased a couple drinks and some food. He made his way to the parking lot scanning the cars in the back corner. 

But her car was gone.

_ She left?  _ The thought stung a little. William hadn't expected her to leave. He told himself he shouldn't have expected her to stay either. She probably wanted to be as far from the rodeo as possible, given what had happened.

Still, he had wanted to make it up to her. Somehow.

He sagged a bit, did one last cursory glance of the parking lot before deciding to head back to his trailer. 

Once there, he did his usual routine, only this time he packed up his gear. He wouldn't be using it until next season anyway. All his vests and wraps were stored in their respective boxes before William shoved the tickets in with his other paperwork and then finally set about eating the food he had bought. May as we not let it go to waste.

After that, he texted his driver, asked if he could come by earlier. Talen didn't protest. Once that was done, William finally put Tat's number in his contacts, and then contemplated what to do.

It was customary for people to text one another, just to make sure they had the right number. William didn't think Tatiana would lie to him, but then again he wasn't sure she wouldn't either. She could have just wanted him to leave, and he supposed he wouldn't blame her if she had given him a false one.

But the urge to know nagged at him and he found himself texting her a way just to see if it would go through.

**Hey.**

It was short, simple. Just to see. He waited, watched his screen to see if she would reply. 

It took a moment, and he didn't realize he was holding his breath until his phone chimed and her message came in.

**Hey.**

William sighed. Well, at least he knew the number was real. 

He went to type, thumbs flying across the keyboard. He felt like he had to say something, apologize again maybe.

He started, writing a full paragraph before he reread it and immediately deleted it. 

No, no. It was way too much. And way too… revealing. He had started to hint that he wanted to be more than friends, and he was pretty sure the last thing on her mind was getting a new boyfriend.

He needed to play it slow. Jessie had fucked it up for him and he had to backtrack.

**You left. You okay?**

There. That was better. She replied shortly after.

**Yeah. Just needed to be alone.**

**Thanks for asking tho.**

He understood. Hated it, but understood. 

**I'm leaving tomorrow. Do you want to meet up for coffee, or something? If you're feeling up for it, of course.**

William waited with bated breath once more. 

**No**

Oh….

**Sorry. Maybe some other time? I want a few days to myself.**

Well, it was something.

**Sure. Whenever!**

**I just want to make sure you're doing alright.**

A moment.

**Thanks Will…**

**I appreciate it.**

His heart sagged a little, sadness ringing in his mind. 

**Of course.**

She didn't reply after that, and William put his phone down on the pillow next to him. He was pretty sure she wasn't mad at him, and he understood her wishes. It was up to her now though. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't force her to rethink her self care days. She needed them, and his schedule was free. Hed be able to meet up with her in a few days, or whenever she decided she wanted to talk.

He sighed, rubbed his eyes as sleep started to make his eyelids droop.

Time to rest. He had to travel tomorrow and he didn't want to be tired doing it.

XxX

The next morning was the same. Tatiana hadn't texted him, despite William wishing she had, and he still felt crappy about yesterday in total. 

Thankfully, he couldn't muse on it too much. Talen was rapping on his trailer door, telling him he was here and to get ready to pull out. William noted it was still early, the sky just starting to lighten. 

At least he would be home early.

It didn't take long for Will to magic his boxes away and get himself ready. A quick trip to the bathroom and he was set to go. 

William stood, scrolling his phone as his trailer pulled off the fairgrounds and onto the highway. His trip home would be a couple hours, but his phone was fully charged and he had plenty of downloaded movies to watch. It would pass in no time.

He shifted his weight from one hoof to the other, holding on to one of the handles in his trailer that he had put in for his own comfort. Much like people on a packed train, William stood for his trips. Sitting was uncomfortable. He didn't want to fuck his back up if Talen was driving over bumpy roads. 

Time was ticking by pretty slowly. William had only gotten through half of his movie, because he kept impulse checking his messages to see if she had texted him. Each time he did he was rewarded with nothing, and he had to keep reminding himself to let it be.

He had finally gotten back into his show when there was a squealing of brakes. William's trailer was padded with insulation, but even so it wasn't enough to dull the deafening scream of tires on asphalt. 

He steadied himself, or tried to, bracing for his trailer to go lurching forwards. He wasn't disappointed, and his footing was nowhere near enough to keep himself from falling. His trailer rocked violently as he saw Talens truck through the window Jack-knife. Horror overcame him as he realized, shit, he was now across the highway, and he caught the sight of the small semi barreling towards him, horn blaring….

After that, it was a blur. 

William had been trapped. There was no where for him to go and everything had happened so fast that he wouldn't have been able to try and escape regardless. 

The semi t-boned his trailer, hitting the back end of Talen's truck too and pushing them across the highway. His trailer flipped, but not after crumbling from the initial impact. Talen's truck ended up in the ditch on the left hand side, but William's trailer was still on the road, partially wedged under the front of the semi.

William woke up, his world spinning. He had maybe two seconds before he was in agony, searing pain ripping up and down his back. He managed a chocked off scream, because fuck did it hurt, but that was soon cut off because his whole diaphragm protested, stabbing pain surrounding his ribs and multiple other places deep inside. 

He tried to look around, noted how distorted his trailer looked. It was all warped metal, broken in some places. He could see outside through a tear in the undercarriage, saw feet that may have been Talen's.

"Fuck!  **_Will_ ** !" His driver called out..

"Forget your horse buddy, are  _ you _ okay?" Another voice asked, probably the semi driver. He sounded like a trucker.

"WHAT?" He heard Talen roar. "Hes not a fucking horse, you peice of shit! He's an Angel!"

"O-oh.."

William felt his head spin again and he closed his eyes. Though he was positive Talen was still screaming, the volume was being lost to William. Like someone was turning a stereo knob in his head all the way down.

Soon, the world was quiet, and his vision was misty. He hurt, but not as much as before. He glanced down, saw his leg. He should have been horrified, but he just felt numb.

Bone was sticking out, pale and pink on the edges. His fur was matted with blood,  _ his _ blood.

His head swam again, and he laid it back down. He was tired. He just needed to close his eyes, just for a bit…

XxX

Tat had woken up in her hotel bed, tired and cranky. 

Last night was terrible. She had spent several hours thinking about the whole thing, and then drank the feelings away that came with said thinking.

Jessie had never been longterm boyfriend material, she had told herself. He was a summer fling, a pretty face she had met early in the show season and they had happened to click. He had said he had needed a new rider, his old one "mysteriously" quitting.

Tatiana wondered now if the other rider had found out he was cheating then too, and had the good sense to walk away.

Still, she told herself she couldn't be surprised. And she wasn't. The initial hurt was dulled as she told herself she noticed the red flags, and hadn't done anything to distance herself. The long trips across the country, being "social"... 

It all made sense in the end, and she felt more stupid for letting herself get played. She should've just dumped him after the first night. 

Might have made the past weekend a bit more enjoyable if she hadn't had Jessie's baggage destroying it.

Tatiana sighed as she got into her car, checking her phone. Her texts from William were still open from last night and she reread them. They stirred a fuzzy feeling in her chest, and she found herself sighing again.

Poor Will. No doubt he had gotten in some shit. Jessie had texted her for some reason, looking to vent about his tickets and then try to crawl back into her good graces. She had promptly blocked him as a result, but she knew that if Jessie was in trouble Will was not much better.

_ Maybe I should ask him. _

The thought was not the first. She had contemplated her interaction with William, aware that she had left suddenly and in a huff. She wasn't sure she wanted to meet up, but maybe she would text him later if she wasn't emotionally drained. 

She put her phone in her cup holder and set her music up on Bluetooth before pulling out of the hotel. It was finally time to head home. She missed her actual bed, and decent food that wasn't beer battered and fried. 

The trip was uneventful for the most part, Tat just focused on the road. However, about halfway through, traffic started to back up, until it was near standstill.

"Fucks sakes…" she found herself muttering, rolling down her window to get some air in as she turned down her ac. She wasn't trying to blow through all her gas sitting through this cluster fuck.

She could sense she was getting closer to the scene of the trouble, officers appearing and cones put in place to direct traffic. She knew it was rude to stare but she couldn't help.but keep checking as she inched forwards. Must've been a pretty bad wreck if they had all these officers and firetrucks and whatnot out. There had to be at least 6 service vehicles on the highway, narrowing down the lane for passing traffic to one. Tatiana only knew because she was counting.

As she finally came up on the scene, she couldn't help but look, morbid curiosity taking the better of her. She saw a semi, a trailer, a truck, and two more vehicles. It looked like a pile up. The cars in front of the truck and trailer didn't look too bad, a minor fender bender maybe, but the truck was in the ditch, and the trailer…

Some creative work had to be done on it to free whatever had been inside. It was wrenched open like a can opener, and there was copious amounts of blood all over the asphalt. There was no tarp on the floor, which made her feel like whatever had gotten hurt hadn't died on scene, but her stomach twisted uncomfortably regardless. 

Something told her to look at the trailer a bit closer. It was white and plain for the most part, like most horse trailers were, but she noted the lack of dividers within. There were no hay nets, no signs to suggest a horse at all. There wasn't even straw in the truck to suggest the horse had been there and had been moved. 

Was it an Angel? 

The rodeo was just down the highway. Two hours drive, but plenty of Angels were no doubt traveling this stretch. It would explain the lack of animal like things in the trailer, and pin the blood. 

For some reason her mind immediately flew to William. Not Jessie or anyone else she knew far better, but William. He had mentioned he was leaving. Had he been heading this way? 

She wanted to say no, to tell herself she was overthinking it. But as she looked at the crumpled up trailer and its bloody story, she spied a special marker, and she knew at once she wasn't being outlandish.

Tatiana had only been to William's trailer once in passing. They had been on their way to get drinks when he had wanted to grab his wallet and get rid of his vest. While she had waited, she had noted the custom logo on his trailer. It wasn't too big, like some others liked to do, but it was noticeable. His name had been emblazoned in an elegant but flashy logo. Very western. Very showy. 

She had teased him about it.

Now she was horrified. 

She scrambled for her phone as she cleared the accident, finally back on the open road again. But she couldn't think. 

That was William's trailer.  **_William_ ** had been in that crash. 

Was he okay? The blood suggested no, but God, was he-?

She didn't know. She frantically picked his name out of her contacts, pushed the call button. It rang and rang. 

There was no answer.


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotionally, physically, mentally exhausted...

_One Week Later_

The hospital smelled of disinfectant and sickness. The sounds of his various monitors drowned in his sensitive ears, driving him to near madness. The morphine button was clenched in his hand.

William had woken up in the hospital three days ago. The doctors, having noticed he was awake, had wasted no time in approaching him and telling him what had happened, even though he had been too out of it to really understand.

It had taken a while to settle in his drugged out brain but when it had he was devastated. 

_"What?" William asked again, struggling to comprehend what the doctor was telling him. Her face was grim, eyes somber. She kept telling him what had happened, but each time she did it was like he tuned her out, unwilling to hear it._

_She took a deep breath. "Mr. Burchard… we had to amputate."_

_The word amputate struck a chord, sent terror up and down his numb spine. He was on so much morphine it was hard to think, but that word cut through the fog enough to let him actually focus._

_She seemed to sense he was actually with her this time, and gently continued. "Your extra arms were crushed in the crash. There was too much damage. We couldn't save them."_

_She demonstrated where they had cut, explaining they had essentially removed everything, including the extra shoulder sockets. She also said he had almost bled out on the table, a gruesome fact he wasn't sure needed to be added._

_He touched his face with shaking hands, feeling scratchy bandages under his fingertips. Panic flared, sharp and chilling, and the doctor nodded as he looked back at her. "You had a concussion, and you suffered damage to the right side of your face. We saved the eye, but there will be scarring."_

_"You also broke your femur. We put pins in the bone. It should heal up just fine."_

_Amputation, concussion, broken-_

_It was too much._

_"...Is there anything that isn't fucked up?" William found himself biting out as the rush of information overwhelmed his brain. The doctor didn't seem hurt by his words, but she did just look at him sadly._

_"Do you have any kin we could call for you?" She asked, not giving into his bait._

_Kin? William wanted to laugh. His family was in Heaven, and long distance calling was not a thing between dimensions. Maybe if he had actually cared to study communication magic he would've been able too, but the human world had coddled him. Phones were instant…_

_Plus, he didn't want his parents to know. They would do nothing but scold him, and then demand he return home. He had left Heaven for a reason. He wouldn't be back there unless absolutely necessary._

_"No… no, I don't think so," he said after a moment, rubbing his forehead. His head was pounding, a steady drum that made his skull feel like it was two sizes too small. He paused, his alpha groggily coming to the surface of his hurting mind._

_But what about_ **her**?

Tat...

_William looked around, noted his wallet on the bedside table. He reached across, hissing at the way his stitches pinched in protest, and opened it. The doctor waited as he flipped through his wallet, pulling out his cards in search of something. When he didn't find it, he sagged._

_"I don't have it," he said aloud, and the doctor tilted her head._

_"Have what?"_

_"Her number…" William rubbed his head again, the pain in it increasing as his inner monologue panicked._

_What was he going to do? He still wasn't really sure how long he had been in the hospital. What if she had tried to call him, and she thought he was ignoring her? She would no doubt think he was an asshole, and probably wouldn't believe him if he told her he had been in an accident-_

_He struggled, trying to remember. The area code stuck out, but the rest? He was grasping at straws._

_"Fuck!" He ended up snarling, holding his head. He felt like it was going to burst. There was too much pressure, too much_ **_everything!_ **

_"Please calm down," the doctor said, reaching for him. He felt her touch him, and immediately recoiled._

_"Don't touch me," he snapped, teeth bared. The doctor stumbled back, apparently having forgotten he wasn't human. He growled at her in warning before his emotions shifted again._

_He didn't feel like himself. It was hard to think. He was in_ **_pain_** _. He wanted to be left alone, but at the same time the thought of being alone was terrifying._

_He was broken. They hadn't helped him. They had barely held him together._

_He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home. But home wasn't home. He wanted to be held, someone to tell him it would be okay. Be wanted Tatiana, wanted to hear her tell him it was going to be okay-_

_William's vision swam a bit, suddenly woozy. He laid back down against his pillow, noting his doctor was moving around beside him. She stepped back when he growled at her again but this time the sound was weak, half baked._

_"I think you're having a reaction to the pain killers," she said, though her voice sounded far off. "I gave you a sedative. It should help."_

_Help? He didn't want their help. They had butchered him, hacked him into pieces._

_His back screamed in agony, as though his extra limbs were still attached. It drug a whimper out of his throat, and his doctor just told him to relax._

_"You'll feel better soon."_

Her words had been a sick lie. 

William hadn't felt better. The drugs they gave him kept him loopy, stayed the pain off just enough so he wasn't in crippling discomfort, but he didn't feel better. He couldn't move, couldn't go anywhere. He hated it. Hated being dependent on them and their help. The nurses tried to be nice, but William did not entertain them. He snapped at them constantly, hated when they talked to him like he was some sort of spooked animal. It was probably because he was acting like one, constantly rumbling his discontent and curling his lip at anyone who looked at him. His inner alpha was at the fore of his mind now, instincts kicking in and overriding his personality. He thought they were in danger, and he needed to protect himself because he was vulnerable.

Normally William would have been mortified. He did his best to keep that side of himself under wraps, the extra voice in his head pushed as far away as possible and only allowed out in certain situations, like when Jessie had done what he had.

But now, he was so miserable, he didn't even care. He just wanted the pain to stop, for his back to not feel like he was still a mangled mess. His surgical wounds didn't help, the stitches pulling, itching at all hours of the day and night.

He hated it. Hated it hated it.

William stayed in the hospital for far too long if you asked him, an unwilling resident that couldn't be released until his wounds had healed enough they didn't fear he would rip them or get them infected. Only then did they discharge him, sent him home with medication and paperwork and a fucking wheelchair. Now he could add humiliation to the toxic cocktail of emotions he was constantly carrying around, people giving him looks of _pity_ as his appointed caretaker helped him get into his apartment.

"There now," she said as they were in his apartment, taking his aftercare bag and hanging it on the hook. She then grabbed his crutches, offered them to him. "Up you go. You probably want to lay in your own bed."

William looked at her with disdain. He wasn't a child. 

"No," he said. "I'm fine."

His nurse tilted her head at him. "Its okay, Mr. Burchard. I'll help you-"

"I don't want your help," he hissed. "I want to be left alone. I'm… I'm tired. My head hurts." 

It was half true. His head did hurt, as it had been for the entirely of his hospital stay, but he mostly didn't want someone to see him struggle. The hospital had been bad enough when they had had to get four people to help him get into the stupid wheelchair to begin with. He definitely didn't want a repeat of that performance. 

The shame of it all made his face hot. 

William had always been agile and active. It was one of the reasons why he had taken to Bronco Busting in the first place. He prided himself on his physical abilities, and had been rewarded for them with his successful career. But now he had been reduced to needing help with everything. From putting his shirt on to just getting into bed. It made him feel all sorts of unpleasant things, but the worst was the shame. 

He was an invalid now, and he couldn't stand it. The doctors had assured him it was only temporary, that he should be back to normal soon. He wasn't sure what they defined as normal, because he didn't feel like he would ever be normal again.

William's nurse didn't pry. She just pushed him into his room, to which he did not thank her, and set his crutches by his bed. She mentioned she would make something for him to eat, and that she would then be leaving. William honestly didn't care. He wanted to be by himself. The sooner she left, the better.

He stayed in his chair until she finished her duties and left. She had brought his food to him before her departure, but William hadn't even considered eating it. 

He didn't want to eat. He didn't want to do anything.

He sat in his wheelchair for a very long time, mind blank. It was only when his eyes started to droop did he consider moving, and he did so with great effort. 

He was weak from his surgery and accident, and pushing himself up onto one leg was a battle. He tried to put his other leg down, touched his hoof to the floor and immediately was rewarded with new pain as the stitches in his muscle pulled. 

Fuck. Guess he wouldn't be using this leg for some time. 

The doctors had told him it was broken, but he hadn't expected that much of a reaction. It was a new pain, sharp and jagged instead of the ache that his back had become. He hobbled the two steps to his bed before crawling into it, gingerly laying himself down. 

Once there, he stared at his ceiling, his breathing echoing in his ears.

The ceiling... It was boring and white and-

His eyes burned, tears overflowing. 

Wait. He was crying? 

William wiped at his one good eye that wasn't bandaged, and was met with moisture on his finger tips, a silent answer to his question. 

The visual knocked something lose in him, something deep that had been keeping the tears at bay. The blockade of spite and bitterness was pushed away, and William was met with everything else that had been stewing under the disguise of general disgust.

An overwhelming feeling of vulnerability consumed him, and he was hopeless to fight it. Laying on his bed, the scent of the hospital still on his skin and clothes, he felt small. Weak. Like a newborn cub, defenseless in every way of the word.

He had come so close to death, both in the wreck and his subsequent surgery that he had had to undergo to save his life. William would have never guessed he would be one of the unfortunate few to be in a wreck, and yet that's exactly what had happened. Just two weeks ago he was fit and able. And now…?

He was broken. 

He'd never be back to what he was before...

His chest felt tight, the feeling of sadness overwhelming. Suffocating.

To make matters worse, he realized how alone he was. 

He had been alone during this whole ordeal. Granted, he had had nurses and doctors, but no family. No one to visit him and maybe make him feel slightly less bitter as he was forced to become accustomed to this new unwanted way of life. He had said he had wanted to be alone, because he was angry at the world. But as he laid prone on his bed, he wished he wasn't. 

His mind wandered for a moment, down a painful path that brought up a familiar face.

Tatiana…

He wished she was here. An illogical thought, but he wished it were true. Hed give anything to hear her voice right then, to soothe some of the hurt he was feeling.

Shame reared its head then. _She won't want you like this,_ some cruel part of himself mocked. 

His tears stung a little more at that.

His alpha crooned in his head shortly after, a sad noise that broke through the cacophony of turmoil that was his thoughts. Wiliam sucked his teeth.

"Not now," he said, though his voice was shaking.

It whined again, quiet. William wished it would go away. His feelings were bad enough as it was, he didn't need his inner voice coming out and fucking it up further. With his luck it would mock them, say how weak they were. How they were right to think Tatiana wouldn't want anything to do with him now.

The alpha whined again. **Bad,** it said. **Bad thoughts**. William scoffed. But he did stop thinking about it, about her.

It was too painful.

The voice left him be after that, sulking away somewhere in his head. He was thankful, but the sadness returned, and he was left with that for company.


	7. Rock Bottom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drown your sorrows in darkness.

The next few months were a blur. And for that, William was grateful. 

His nurse was his only visitor, and William scorned her so much that she didn't talk to him when she visited. 

He was aware his behavior was uncalled for, that he was being cruel, but he couldn't bring himself to be nice. He never called her names, but his responses to her questions were clipped, his tone unfriendly. He made a point to let her know he wanted to be alone. 

After a few weeks, she had to move on to another client and William had his wish.

He was alone.

Being alone was strange for him. He was a social creature, always on the move and doing things. Before his accident, he always had something planned, always had people to talk to. Now he found himself sitting on his couch all day, mindlessly watching television and consuming empty carbs.

William's depression was severe. He had never really known what people meant when they said they had been depressed until now. It was a numb feeling, sometimes sad, but for the most part he was numb. His leg and back ached, constantly, and the pain was the only thing he felt outside of the void that consumed his emotions.

His apartment had suffered as much as he, a literal dumping ground for his woes. William was usually neat and tidy. He liked having a clean house, liked cooking too. Clothes were now strewn across the floor, various takeout containers all over his coffee table and the floor and the kitchen. Every dish possible had been used, but none had been cleaned. He showered only when he couldn't stand the feeling of dirt and grime on his skin and fur. The lights were always off, as though doing so kept him from having to face his problems. It kind of did. The constant darkness matched his mood, and made him feel safe.

William found that's what he craved now, when he had waking moments of realization.

He wanted to feel safe. **_Comforted_ **.

He was scared of the outside world. Scared of the scorn that would surely follow him if he were to step outside.

He hated himself for it. He had never been self conscious, had always encouraged others to be confident. 

He couldn't even follow his own advice.

William bummed around his apartment for a long time, living barely an existence, until he ran out of necessities. It was mainly toiletries and Tylenol, but they were important none the less. The drugs especially. He had had to switch to over the counter pain meds and stop taking his doctor prescribed drugs when they had deemed that he should no longer need them, much to his dismay. 

That had been a painful transition, several days spent in torture as his phantom aches and pinches drove him mad….

But now he was out. And he needed his Tylenol, even if it didn't work nearly as well as his codeine. The only problem was he had to leave his house, and that alone made him stall. He didn't want to go outside, to have people see him. 

His face had healed, but the scars were noticeable. They were jagged and red, bright splotches of crimson against the rest of his pale skin. Above his lip, there was a deep cut. It made him look like he had a permanent snarl. Over his eye there was general scarring, flesh having been scraped off. He looked like he'd been burned with the way it had healed, but he was sure it was road rash. 

His right eye was milky blue from the doctors saving his vision. The laser they had used had bleached the green of his irises, turned them ghostly, he remembered them explaining. He hated it and tried not to look at it whenever he got the courage to look in a mirror. 

But other people would see him, even if he couldn't. They weren't like mirrors. He couldn't just avoid them and not have them see. They would see what had happened to him, and then they would judge him. He would either get looks of pity, or disgust.

His stomach churned with the idea of either. 

But his pain was demanding. He would have to give in eventually.

William resisted leaving his home until he couldn't any longer, and then reluctantly left his apartment. 

He no longer needed his crutches, having a brace now for his injured leg. It was less noticeable and cumbersome than his crutches, but his muscles had lost their form. He was weaker, and walking took a lot of effort. It didn't help that he had packed on the pounds during his isolation and had scarcely left his sofa. The cut figure he used to sport sas gone, now soft and padded…

William tried not to think about it. He covered himself up, ashamed. A baggy sweater, dark colored and plain.

He'd fallen so low…

The trip the store was about as fun as he thought it would be. There was a small grocer down the street from him, so he didn't have to go far, but interacting with the public had been the bad part. 

People had stared, children had loudly asked why his face looked the way it did, or why he had such a big scar on his thigh. He had been uncomfortable the moment he had left his house, but it had taken all his willpower to not just abandon his quest for toilet paper and painkillers when people started making his trauma **obvious**.

He hurried home as soon as he had paid, his leg protesting so at most he was a fast hobble the several blocks back.

William crossed the street, felt some of the tension in his chest lessen as he spied his brownstone just up ahead. He was almost home. He'd bought enough goods so that he wouldn't have to come back outside for a long time after this…

As he approached his house, his ears caught a familiar voice. He stopped walking, noted the voice was coming from up ahead. His heart started to pound in his chest as he thought over and over _its her._

And it was. Up ahead, rapidly closing the distance, was Tatiana. 

He was positive it was her. Only, she wasn't dressed in western gear like he was used to seeing. In fact, she was wearing heels, and a houndstooth skirt with a white top with ruffles down the front. In one arm, her matching blazer was held in the crook of her elbow, her hand holding her cellphone to her ear. Her other arm was gesturing, obviously deep in conversation with someone. He could only catch her half of the conversation, but there was no mistaking who she was.

She had haunted his dreams for weeks now. He could spot her in any crowd.

As if she could feel his eyes on her, she looked up from the sidewalk, and they made eye contact. 

Immediately recognition washed over her face, lips parted in an "oh". His heart was going a mile a minute at this point. He hadn't ever expected to see her again, and now she was right in front of him. 

He went to say something, even though she was still pretty far away. But she beat him to it, ripping her phone away from her ear and calling out to him in disbelief.

"Will?"

He nodded, because he didn't know what to say. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all half baked. It turned out he didn't need to say anything, because before he knew it she was hurrying towards him, and he instinctively held his arms out to catch her.

Tatiana ran into him, hugging him tightly. His leg pinched at being jostled, but he didn't fall over. He wasn't sure why, but then again he didn't really care. Especially since she was in his arms, and hugging him. 

He hugged her back, crouching some. His leg protested again but he forced himself to his knees, and hugged her properly. Her scent filled his nose, warm and sweet and she was soft and fit in his arms so right. Her chest was to his, and he felt warmth slide up his collar, his cheeks coloring just slightly.

God… He didn't ever want to let go.

William rubbed his chin against her neck, scenting her out of impulse. **Good** , his alpha cooed, happy. **Good. With us**. 

He had missed her so much, thought about her more times than he would like to admit. If he could, he would've stayed like that forever, but Tatiana was the first to pull away, and when she did her eyes looked misty, her eyeliner smudged.

"I thought…" A pause. "… I saw your accident. I saw your trailer, on-on the road. _Fuck_ , Will, there was so much **blood-** "

He whined deep in his throat, the alpha side of him uncomfortable with her worry. The accident had been traumatizing for him, but seeing her so upset made him feel even worse. 

**Better**. **Make it better** , the voice in his head demanded, and he didn't fight it. He pulled her back to him, rubbed circles on her lower back. He felt her relax against him, bury her face in his neck. A steady purr erupted from him, soft.

"I'm okay," he said, nuzzling her hair.

Tatiana sighed into his neck. "I thought the worst…" she said after a moment, gently pulling away again to look at him.

He looked tired. His eyes were drawn, sad. They lacked their usual sparkle and that saddened her. What horror had he gone through? What trauma had he suffered in that wreck that made him look so exhausted? Her heart ached, wishing she could take it away. Replace it with the snark and charm from the Rodeo.

Her gaze slid down, eventually settled on his scars. She looked a little closer and saw how shiny they looked. Fresh, her mind supplied. New.

She touched them gently, and William's eyes widened before he flinched away like a spooked horse. 

"I-I'm sorry," Tatiana immediately apologized, snatching her hand back. "Did I hurt you?"

God, she was stupid. William looked like he wanted to run and she felt horrible. They were probably sensitive, his scars, and she had just touched them without even asking. "I'm so sorry, William. Really," she apologized again, profusely.

William, meanwhile, was struggling. His alpha was crooning at her touch, soaking up the attention because they had been nothing but touch starved and lonesome the last four months. The other part of him, however, was ashamed. He had forgotten his scars for a moment, forgotten that he was horribly marred and broken. When she had touched him, it was because she had noticed them, and no doubt she was thinking about how ugly he had become. 

"I…" he said, trembling. He wanted to run away but at the same time bury himself under her skin so they wouldn't be apart again. It was frightening, and he stood in a rush because he wasn't sure he could do this. 

He didn't want to be **_rejected._**

William stood up and backed away, Tat looking at him with concern. "Will?" She asked, soft. His alpha whined, telling them not to leave. She was right there. She would make everything better.

Or she would devastate him, he countered. 

"I… I have to go," he said, grabbing his bags. His house was right there. All he had to do was slip inside and never come out again…

He backed up, right into a strangers path. The stranger didn't stop, roughly shoving William out of the way. William's knee twisted, and sharp pain ripped up the length of his scar. 

He crumpled forwards, just barely catching himself. Tatiana was beside him in an instant, asking him if he was alright. Her hands were on him, warm and steady. He was still in great pain, but they acted as two tiny anchors, giving him something to focus on.

He tried to answer her, because he would never not answer her, but the stranger was barking at them. 

"Watch it!" The man hissed, and William felt his face flame from embarrassment. If he wasn't a cripple, he wouldn't-

" **Hey. Fuck off."** Tatiana barked at the man, suddenly a wildcat. William found himself blinking in surprise, and then unable to look away as Tatiana turned into a she-devil.

"Hey, he needs to-"

" **Oi! I said fuck off,"** the tiny female reiterated. She stood in a rush, heading towards the man, who wisely stepped back because, fuck, she was mad. "Can't you see you hurt him? He has a fucking brace on you can be careful!"

The man looked uncomfortable, but not ballsy enough to argue. He put his hands up and scurried away, Tatiana throwing a few more choice words at his back before she came back to William's side, voice sweet as honey.

"You okay?" She asked him, and his heart was pounding again.

**Helped us** , his alpha pointed out, warmth spreading in his chest. **She cares. She likes us.**

William nodded in response to her question, but her furrowed brow told him she didn't believe him.

"Can you stand?" She asked, and William supposed that was a good question. 

He went to push himself up, but his leg was tired of the abuse. He felt something slip, and he doubled back over as the pain seized up his muscles, made them resistant to anything he wanted to do. It hurt so much he couldn't help but whine and Tatiana was worried ten fold. 

"Fuck, thats not good," she muttered, and then she was putting his arm over her shoulders, trying to push him up. "Come on, honey, you gotta work with me. We gotta get you home."

William was still in agony. His leg was trembling, pain ripping up and down the entire limb, branching off into his lower back the longer he was on the ground.

He wasn't sure he could stand. He wasn't even sure that he hadn't hurt himself badly and would need another trip to the hospital. He really hoped not, but with how much he was hurting, he was doubting it.

_"Come on honey, you gotta help me out here."_

Tatiana's pleading broke through the mantra of pain in his head, stirring him to move. She was looking at him with those big brown eyes he so adored, and the amount of worry there, and for him, was enough to make him try.

His hooves scrambled against the pavement as he gathered his legs up under him. Tatiana counted to three before they stood up in one big rush. William winced, staggered, but Tat threw herself against his hip, trying to steady him.

She grabbed his waist, stood with her legs apart to keep her stance. William rocked a bit before copying her. He seemed to stop swaying after a minute and Tatiana fumbled with her phone. 

"Where do you live, Will? We'll catch a cab," she said, and William wanted to swoon. 

It was strange what immense pain did to the brain. Apparently it made him loopy.

"I… I live right there," he said, and Tatiana turned to where he was pointing. She perked. 

"Perfect! Come on." 

Tatiana stood beside him instead of in front, and put his hand on her shoulder. She then kicked off her heels, needing to stand on solid ground, before gently nudging him forwards. William got the hint. His leg was still acting up, so he moved pretty slowly, but they made their way towards his house.

Tatiana offered words of encouragement the whole way, taking his weight when he needed her too. He tried not to lean on her though. She was so tiny, he could hurt her without even trying. 

The pain was getting worse. By the time they reached the stairs he had to take a break. Tatiana was patient. 

"You're almost there," she said, taking his keys out of his grocery bag and unlocking his door. She set everything inside before going back and urging William up the the three steps and inside. 

It felt as though he had climbed mount Fuji when he cleared the last step, legs feeling like jello. His injured leg was tired of it, and he waited until he was in the door before he crumpled down on the floor, exhausted.

"Shit! Will? You okay?" Tatiana asked, shutting the door and kneeling beside him. 

"I… Just give me a minute," William grunted, reaching back and holding his leg. He tried to flex his hock, stretch the muscles. He received another terrible tearing sensation and it was enough to lay him out. He groaned, painful, and Tatiana stroked his hair, unsure. 

She looked up, noted the outline of a couch just a few dozen feet away. "Can you make it to the couch?" 

Wiliam squirmed on the floor, his whole frame trembling. His leg was shaking like a leaf, like someone had poured salt on his nerve endings. He made a broken sound, and she bit her lip. 

"I know it hurts," she said, placing her hand on his leg, trying to stop him from shaking too hard. "Can you crawl? Ill help you. Come on, Will. You can't lay on the floor, sweetheart."

She kept cooing to him, soft words of encouragement. He wanted to cry from the terrible spasms in his thigh, but her talking kept him above water, just barely. 

Somehow, she coaxed him up and they crawled to the sofa. Tatiana was pressed to his side the whole time, and only when he was sprawled out on his sectional, full of dirty clothes and crumbs from his depressive episode, did she step away. 

She asked him where his pain meds were, and went and got them for him. She came back with a glass of water and the bottle, and helped him take them. After that, she sat next to him, his head on her thigh, and stroked his hair. 

"Try and relax," she said, eyes on him. William was still quivering, white knuckling the couch in an effort to not be vocal about his pain. She ran her fingers through his greasy hair, and he had a moment of panic as he realized she was in his home. His dirty, unkempt, mess of a home. 

He had dreamed about taking her home, about having her in his space. But that had been when it was spotless, immaculate and fit for her presence. Now he was mortified, and if he weren't in pain he would have died from embarrassment. She probably thought him the grossest man she had ever met.

His alpha whined. **No, she doesn't care,** the voice said, trying to assuage William's immense guilt that went with his crippling pain. **She's good. Kind. No hurt us.**

It purred as she stroked their hair, and William had to admit it felt nice. He focused on that, willed himself to not think about anything else. His leg kept spasming, but Tatiana's hands kept him grounded. 

She kept petting him, gentle and sure, and eventually he started to feel not as tense. She was talking to him too, softly, and it further helped him wind down. Soon, the pain was fading, but so was his consciousness. Her thigh was a good pillow, he thought to himself, and he closed his eyes to rest.


	8. Staying The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tat stays the night.

Tatiana allowed herself to breathe when William's twitching stopped and his own breathing had slowed. He was finally asleep. 

She sat back against the couch, rubbed her eyes. The last forty-five minutes had been harrowing to say the least. Watching William shake like a leaf, unable to stop, had been disturbing. She couldn't even begin to fathom how it felt if he couldn't keep his composure. Angels generally had higher pain tolerances than humans so whatever had happened to his leg had to have been devastating to make him crumble to the ground like nothing. 

She looked down at him, his head still on her lap. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face, tucked it behind his ear. 

It had been a long time since she had seen him. The Rodeo had been four months ago. She found it hard to believe that so much had happened in between then, but the evidence was using her lap as a pillow, and had given her a fright.

She hadn't expected to see William again. Not after seeing his trailer, and his lack of texts. She had tried to get a hold of him for two weeks after she saw the accident, even going as far as to try and track down the driver of his trailer, but she wasn't very good at digging up information and her efforts had led to a dead end. 

It had been hard to swallow. Tatiana couldn't help but feel as though she had been responsible for the carnage, though it was only a cruel twist of fate. She kept wondering if she had gone for coffee with him, like he had asked, would it have spared him? Would William have avoided the trauma that now so clearly haunted him?

The question buzzed around in her head, came up at the most inopportune times. She had honestly thought him dead, the image of the blood on the asphalt carved into her memory. There had been so much…

And then, out of nowhere, she had run into him. 

It was purely chance. She had taken the train to work that morning, and had gotten off at another stop on her way home to visit a new restaurant. If she hadn't done that, hadn't deviated from her routine, would she have ever seen him?

Tatiana had honestly thought she was hallucinating when she saw him standing there on the sidewalk. That the guilt had gotten to her, started making her see things. But she had called out anyway, because what if she wasn't crazy? What if it really was him?

When he had nodded, perked up at the fact that she  _ recognized  _ him, she had done the only thing that had come to mind, and hugged him. 

Thinking back on it, she shouldn't have. She should have noticed his brace and been more cautious. The relief that flooded her system however was too much to fight and she had just been happy that he wasn't  **dead** . 

She hadn't realized how much of an impact the two days she had spent with him had made, but she was glad they had, and she was even more glad that she could see him again.

Tatiana stroked his hair a few more times, easing some tangles out of the inky strands as she did so. He looked peaceful, she noted. His forehead still had some creases to where he had been gritting his teeth though. She smoothed them with her thumb, smiled a bit when they lessened and he looked fully relaxed. 

The woman watched him for a bit longer, as if to make sure he truly was sleeping. When she was satisfied, she allowed her eyes to roam and take in the space. 

It was… dingy. Tatiana had always pictured William a very neat person. He had come off as such during their short time together, and she fully believed that his apartment did not usually look the way it did now. 

The blinds and curtains were drawn, slivers of white light peeking in from outside just enough to let her see the mounds of clothing and random take out containers. Most of the food items were on the coffee table, but the clothes were everywhere. An occasional "thank you for your patronage" bag was scattered through the mess. 

There were papers stacked next to a set of empty coke cans. Curiosity got the better of her, and she grabbed them, William so deep in sleep that her moving didn't even bother him. 

Papers in hand, she flipped through them. She realized soon that they were his doctor notes from his stay in the hospital. Most of it was jargon she didn't really understand, but she looked at the extensive list of medicine and knew that most of them were painkillers, muscle relaxers, antibiotics. After that, it was mail. She glanced through that too, saw that they were bills. The anxiety that had started to climb into her throat went away once she made sure that all his bills were up to date. William looked like he couldn't handle much more. Money problems would send him over the edge, she was sure.

Luckily, though, everything was up to date, or paid in advance. She put the papers back. 

"You took care of everything else," Tatiana found herself speaking outloud as she looked at William again. "But you aren't taking care of yourself."

She had no doubt he was depressed. If the way his house looked wasn't already a major indication, the way his eyes had lost their gleam was a sure give away. The William she had met was cocky and self assured. He wasn't a hermit, afraid to show his face.

Guilt gripped her again. The happiness at realizing he wasn't dead was shattered when she realized that he wasn't okay. He was hurt, mentally and physically. 

If only she hadn't been selfish. If she had just gone for coffee-

She shook her head. No, no. She couldn't do that. She couldn't make it about her. William was the one suffering, not her. 

If she really wanted to do something, she would help him instead of sulking. 

Tatiana nodded to herself, carefully slipped out from under William's head. She placed a pillow under it, so that he wouldn't crick his neck, and found a spare blanket that wasn't laying on the floor to put over him. Earplugs, a handy little discovery, were put in too, and Tatiana felt confident that he would rest well while she cleaned.

She looked around, noted she had a lot of work ahead of her, but rolled up her sleeves and set to work.

  
  


XxX

  
  


The dishes had been the easiest. She hated doing them, but letting them soak in hot soapy water basically did all the work for her. While they soaked, she gathered all the clothes, separated them into like colors, and started the endless loads. 

William sure did own a lot of shirts and hoodies and sweaters. There were a couple random pairs of grey sweatpants, which she wasn't sure were used very often given she had never seen him wear pants at the rodeo, but she didn't think about it for too long. 

She cleared the coffee table, took out the trash. She stacked his paperwork in a neat pile on his dresser, and stripped the bed. Funny enough, the bedroom was the cleanest room in the house. Tat wasn't sure he spent much time in there. It smelled like dust…

She organized the bathroom, scrubbed the sink free of soap scum from the bar of soap that had just been left on the counter without a dish. The tub was next.

She found a broom and a mop and and a bucket. She swept the floors, grateful they were hardwood, and then mopped the entire house. 

His fridge was bare, but she cleaned it anyway, threw out any expired condiments and disinfected the shelves. The counters were also wiped down, and she opened the blinds, cleaned the dust off them and then cleaned the windows.

By the time she was done, the sun was setting, and she was tired. Her arms were sore, her back hurt, but she reminded herself that it would be worth it. 

William had slept through her spree, sprawled out in the couch. Tat had almost freaked herself out earlier checking on him. She had looked over while wiping the TV screen down, just to check, and she could've sworn he had been looking at her. But when she had gone to talk to him, to ask if he was okay, he was still dead asleep. 

She had thought it odd, but chalked it up to nothing. 

Tatiana checked her phone, wiping the sweat from her brow. It was almost seven, and her stomach was gurgling at her. She had gotten off work at 1, and had planned on getting lunch when she had run into William. He was probably hungry too, or would be when he got up.

Tatiana took the liberty of ordering food. She stole one of his numerous menus in that he had been storing in the kitchen drawer for reference and figured Chinese would be good. It seemed to be something he ordered a lot of and she could go for deep fried chicken and fried rice.

When she called, they asked for the address. She took a second to find it, reading it off one of his mail slips. The person on the other end seemed to perk up. 

"Do you want your usual?" They asked, and Tat blinked.

"Oh… I. Sure. Yeah, can I get the usual, and then can I add things?"

William had a usual? Her heart hurt at the thought. 

"Of course!" The person had chirped, and taken Tat's order without complaint. She made sure to ask if she could pay when they got there, and the person on the phone agreed once again.

Tat got plates and silverware, all freshly washed, and set them up. When the food came, she answered the door and was surprised to see an older man.

He looked at her, as though she wasn't supposed to be there, and Tat smiled. 

"Hey."

"You're not mister William."

"Uh… no. No, I'm a friend."

"A friend… hm. I didn't think he had friends."

"Oh… well-"

"Good. He's lonely. Always orders food. I told him to go outside, get some air. He said he doesn't want to." The old man winked, handed her the two plastic bags overflowing with Chinese food. "Maybe with you, I'll see him less."

Tatiana blinked, and then smiled. "Hopefully," she agreed, them both laughing.

She paid the old man, tipped him extra for his trouble. After she set everything up, she gently shook William's shoulder to wake him

"Will?" She asked. "Hey, I got us food. You hungry?" 

William didn't open his eyes. He huffed a bit, which Tatiana wasn't sure was voluntary or not, but otherwise didn't wake. 

"Will?"

She tried again, shook his shoulder a bit more. The heat from his skin bled through the hoodie he was wearing, and she noted how warm he was. Not too hot to have her worry, but it was nice. 

It was probably cozy under there. 

William shifted this time, adjusting his position. Tatiana expected him to wake up and sat back to give him space. But he just rearranged his head on his pillow, nuzzled it. 

Tatiana sighed, but not unkindly. Well, she supposed it was good he was resting. After today he was no doubt tired. 

She stood, grabbed her own food and sat a little ways away from him so she didn't jostle him on accident. 

Tatiana ate by herself, and then watched a little TV in the hopes that William might wake up from his nap. After another two hours, though, she guessed that he wouldn't. He was out for the night, and she cleaned up, put everything away.

But once everything was cleared, and there was nothing else for her to do, she found herself wondering how to proceed. 

The logical option was to go home. She lived on the other side of town, no where near here. William was safe in his own home, and there was nothing else for her to do given that he was sleeping. But even though that was the logical decision, she found herself stalling.

It felt… wrong. For some reason, the idea of leaving him made her uncomfortable, like she was betraying him if she just up and left without saying goodbye. 

But there was nowhere for her to stay. She would have slept on the couch if William hadn't claimed it as his earlier. His bedroom was free, but she didn't want to be so bold as to assume he would be okay with her using it, or even okay with her being in his space at all.

But it was late. William was asleep. There was no way she could move him and she figured that he probably wouldn't be mad at her if she stayed. If he was really pressed in the morning, she wouldn't take it personally. He was dealing with a lot of shit.

Tatiana yawned, turning off the lights and heading towards his room. It was settled. She was tired and she was not going to waste more time worrying about it. 

She crawled into his bed, after taking off her work clothes, and got comfortable under the duvet. She had washed and fluffed it earlier with the rest of the bedding. It was soft, and William's bed was more than spacious. He was so large that he no doubt had to order something custom. It was also padded with memory foam. 

Tat hummed sleepily. Yes, this was quite nice. She needed to get a bed like this. Hers was garbage compared to his. 

She pulled the covers up over her shoulder and disappeared under it, intent on getting a good night's rest.


	9. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stuff you've been waiting for

William woke up to the feeling of sunshine on his face. 

It felt nice, warmed his cheeks, and he sighed a bit at the sensation. His nose twitched soon after, the smell of coffee, rich and chocolaty, tickling his senses as he became more aware.

Coffee… it had been a long time since he had brewed any. He must've finally had enough ambition to set the coffee pot.

Wait.

William opened his eyes, blinking away the bleariness that usually accompanied him when he first woke up. He sat up with some effort, long ears twitching as he thought he heard the shower running. 

Did he leave it on?

William looked around and noticed that his apartment was clean. The blinds were open, the smell of cleaner hiding beneath the aroma of coffee. 

Was he dreaming?

The shower stopped running. William heard the tap turn off, the shower door open and close as someone exited. There was movement and then the bathroom door was opening. 

When he turned his head, William was positive he was asleep. He must've hit his head and passed out, because there was no way what he was seeing was actually happening. 

Tatiana was coming out of his bathroom, wearing one of his hoodies as a robe. It was huge on her, coming down past her knees. She looked so tiny in it. She had her hair in a towel, and she didn't seem to notice that he was looking at her as she padded past him and went into the kitchen.

William felt his cheeks color as she puttered about in his kitchen, grabbing coffee cups and pouring coffee and whitener. It felt like he was spying on her, like he wasn't supposed to see her like this. He knew it was a dream, that it wasn't really happening, but he still felt like he should be quiet, like he might spook her and disturb her routine. 

Tatiana finished pouring coffee, went back to the fridge and dug around in it. William definitely knew he was hallucinating then because his fridge had been bare for weeks. He'd been living off Chinese food and coke, too depressed to bother cooking. Tatiana however looked to be making something, the tell tale crack of eggs sounding after a few moments. Breakfast of some sort.

He kept watching her, too dumbstruck to move. This was already a great dream in his opinion. He didn't really need to do anything to make it better. Domestic bliss was a guilty trope of his.

Tat turned around, taking the towel off her head as she presumed it was dry enough to not drip all over the floor, and finally made eye contact with him.

_Wow,_ he thought. _This is so lucid…_

**That's because it is real,** his alpha muttered to him, as though he were stupid. 

…

  
  


What?

"Oh, you're awake!" Tatiana said, hurrying over to him. William swallowed thickly, felt himself freeze as she approached. 

This was real? 

"I was worried for a minute," she said, sitting next to him. Her skin was still warm from the shower and his soap had perfumed her body. Her lashes were still damp when he looked into her eyes. "I thought you were going to sleep the whole day away again."

In his head, his alpha was purring. It was pleased as punch that she was here. William, however, was still struggling to comprehend. 

He racked his brain for information. He remembered seeing her in the street and then getting hurt. After that he faintly remembered getting back into his house, but he didn't remember anything else. 

His alpha took that moment to update him, feeding him images he didn't remember. He saw her cleaning his apartment, giving him a blanket so he wouldn't get cold, putting food out to share and then eating by herself because he refused to rise. 

_You watched her?_

**Yes. Sometimes.**

His alpha could take over his consciousness when he was tired or otherwise. Often it didn't, because William had enough mental stamina and control to keep the annoying voice tucked away for 90% of the time. But the other 10% was when it did things like it had just shown him. Watching. Reacting to outside stimuli without his knowing. 

"Will?" 

William was startled back to the present as she called his name. He stared back into her brown eyes, which were warm and inviting, and felt his tongue loosen enough to speak. 

"You…. You stayed," he said, quiet. Tatiana's eyes twinkled, enchanting. 

"Of course I did," she said. She touched his hand. "...Did you not want me too?"

Of course he did. It was all he had ever wanted. More than anything, he had wanted to have her stay. Stay with him after the fight with Jessie, before that when they had gotten drinks. He had wanted her to never leave his side, and he vice versa.

It was so… unbelievable that it was happening now.

"I…"

What did he say? How did he continue this? Furthermore, how did he apologize for having her see his home the way she had, and for cleaning up after him? 

Tatiana seemed to sense he was trying to make sense of everything, so she broke the ice for him. "Do you want coffee?"

Yes. He would. 

"...I'd like that very much," he said, voice still so soft. Tatiana smiled at him and went to go grab the cups she had left on the counter. 

"Sorry I took over," she said once she returned, handing him his cup. "It was pretty late last night when I realized you weren't going to wake up. I borrowed your shower and your washing machine."

William shook his head. "No, its fine. Honestly." With everything she had done, he felt like her using his home was a paltry return of her generosity. He should be making her breakfast, serving _her_ coffee. 

Instead he was the one being served.

Tatiana laughed a little, rubbed the back of her neck. "Guess I forgot about this." She plucked at the hoodie, drawing Williams attention to her chest. He swallowed as he noticed the twin pebbles making slight lumps in the fabric, not enough to notice off the bat but now that he had seen them he couldn't unsee them. 

"I'll wash it and fold it back up. Oh, and, I also used your bed. I would've slept on the couch, but you seemed pretty happy taking it up."

His bed?

William nearly choked on his own tongue. She had slept in his bed? William wanted to simultaneously beat himself up and give himself a medal for his stellar performance. He'd gotten her to sleep in his bed without even having to do anything. It was a dream come true… and it took all his self determination to not get up and hobble to his room so that he could roll in the sheets and cover himself in her scent.

"W-was it comfortable?" He dared ask, avoiding eye contact because he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep himself composed if she looked at him. He was also glad he still had a blanket on his lap. Things were starting to happen down south and he didn't want to ruin the moment by popping a knot because she told him she had slept in his room.

Tatiana laughed again. "Yeah. I need to get myself a new bed like that. Best sleep I ever had."

William nodded, cheeks flushing as he sipped his coffee.

He'd definitely be spending a lot more time in his room once she left.

When she left…

"What's wrong?" Tatiana asked him, having noticed how he had sagged under the weight of his own thoughts.

He shook his head. "I guess… I guess you have to go home soon. I've kept you too long," he said. He told himself he shouldn't be greedy. She had spent a whole day taking care of him, cleaning up his mess. He wished he had been able to actually spend that time with her instead of sleeping, but he would make do. 

He continued, "Thank you so much for your help-"

"Well I… I don't have to go," she said, interrupting him.

William perked. "Really?" 

God, he sounded so desperate. Was he really that clingy? 

Tatiana smiled at him, and his heart fluttered. "Yeah. I'd like to stay, if that's okay. I want to… catch up." She placed her hand on his thigh. "A lot happened… I think we both need to talk."

William shivered at her touch. It was like electricity had shot down his spine. She was sitting so close to him, he realized, but he subconsciously tried to close the gap by leaning further towards her. His arm touched her shoulder, and he felt her press into it.

She was even closer now. He could count the flecks of copper in her irises, see a stray water droplet disappear down the collar of the hoodie she was wearing. He wished he could chase it with his tongue. She fluttered her lashes at him, and he felt his pulse jump.

So close…

**Do it,** his alpha whined, tired of the tension. **Do it.**

He wanted to. 

She was staring into his soul. And he stared back. 

Her gaze was warm, her lips parted as if she was going to ask him what was taking so long. 

Hed been so patient. So careful. But she was here, and she was sending him all the same signals again. And this time, when his mind wandered, he didn't feel guilty. It was okay this time, he told himself. She had stayed when he had needed her most, and he wasn't going to wait for any more verification.

He dipped his head, pressed his lips to hers. She tasted like coffee and vanilla creamer, and he groaned a bit when she kissed back. 

Her lips were soft and pliant, everything he had imagined they were. He felt her tangle one of her hands in his hair, pull him closer to deepen the kiss. He shifted so that he could follow her lead. She moaned into his mouth, and he felt like he was on cloud nine. 

This was really happening. 

His alpha was pleased, whining in its eagerness to continue. William shoved the extra voice in his head aside, nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth. Tatiana purred, nipped him back as revenge, and he was smitten. 

Always sassy…

He put both of their coffee cups down on the coffee table, just barely missing the edge, and then placed his hands on her hips. He was reminded again at how tiny she was compared to him when he felt her form under his hoodie, squeezed her love handles gently and was rewarded with a breathy chuckle from his companion. 

"Lap…" he panted between kisses, pulling her towards him. He wanted her to straddle him, feel her thighs flex against him as she rode him like one of her horses. He wasn't positive it would get that far, but he was hopeful.

Tatiana moved to her knees, put her leg over him, but didn't sit.

"Careful," she moaned into his mouth, hands on his shoulders for support. William trembled with the sudden urge of need her voice brought on. "I don't want to hurt you."

Hurt him? Fuck, the only thing that was hurting was how fucking horny he was. He could feel desire clawing at his insides, raking fire inside his belly. William couldn't remember the last time he had felt like this, so wrung tight that a kiss was threatening to make him bust. 

"You won't," was all he could muster as a reply, licking the roof of her mouth with his tongue. She groaned, pressed into him harder. His thigh protested, a deep, dull ache flaring inside the muscles. 

He opted to ignore it.

His hands were still on her waist. She was hovering above him, trying not to sit on his lap. He pushed down on her hips, not forceful, but enough to jostle her so that she fell forwards a bit. He wanted to rut against her, get friction going and see how she reacted to how hard she was getting him. Tatiana gave to the pressure only for a second before she was on her knees again. Her knee bumped his leg, but she moved it before the pain could go more than a few miniscule notches higher than it had already progressed. 

"Careful," she warned again, a bit firmer this time. She kept kissing him though, obviously not about to abandon her quest. William wasn't complaining.

He squeezed her thighs, pulled the hoodie so it rode over her hips and exposed her to him. Her skin was soft and supple, and she was bare from having been in the shower only a little while ago. He noted she was shaved, and he bit his lip. He breathed hard through his nose, kissed her neck. 

This was definitely going better than he would have ever imagined.

His hand slipped under the hem of her hoodie, not too bold, but not too cautious, and he was rewarded with her pushing into his touch. 

Her skin was warm under his palm. He thought about going lower, about slipping his hand between her legs and sinking his fingers into her right off the bat. But her tits had been distracting him from the get go. He wanted to touch those first. He ran his hand further up her body, towards her chest.

Tat had a big rack. It was impossible to miss. Back at the rodeo, he had noted that her bras never seem to fit her well enough. There was always some spillage, only noticeable because the fabric of her shirts would cling to the extra mounds underneath. He brushed his fingers over her nipple, felt it stiffen at his touch and his companion murr in appreciation.

It was like a reward, he thought to himself, happy as a clam to finally know what her chest felt like. He wanted to take her in his mouth and lick and kiss until she was begging him to stop, and then he would do it all over again with her other nipple. But he remembered they still weren't fully touching, Tatiana refusing to sit on him and close the space between them.

Though they were basically tongue fucking each others throats, she was straining to remain in a position just above his hips, and his sheathe. Which was straining to contain his rock hard rejection, mind you. The blunt, mushroom head was peaking out, but the rest was still hidden in his fur and the blanket on his lap. He shifted some, wondering if he just wasn't in a good position to relieve her full weight but she didn't make any attempts to move and so, he took matters into his own hands. 

Literally.

William growled a bit with frustration, pulling his hands free from under the hoodie and placing them on the back of her thighs. She seemed to sense what he was about to do, and pulled away from their kiss to start warning against it. But William was impatient. He was tired of waiting. He just wanted to show her he wasn't as pathetic as he had been the last 24 hours. He was good in bed, and he wanted to make her feel good as proof.

But as soon as her weight settled on his lap, plopped down rather roughly from his pulling, he was letting out an ungodly yelp of pain. 

His body had been warning him, just as she had, that this was not a good idea. He was still getting used to walking. Fucking was definitely not supposed to be on the itinerary and it felt like the scar that raced down the length of his thigh might split open, the agony quick and sharp. He jumped, cursed, and she was scrambling off his lap.

"Are you okay?" She was asking, worried, and though William was absolutely losing his shit over how much it hurt, he found his inner mantra telling him to suck it the fuck up.

**Get it together,** the alpha hissed in his head, full of venom.

He was about to get laid by the woman of his dreams. The woman who he had, and still did, spent day and night thinking about. And, if she was willing to look past the shit show his life had become the last few months and screw him on his couch, then how quickly could he get her to let him put a ring on it?

Okay, maybe he was rushing things. But it felt right. It had _always_ felt right.

He had one chance, he was convinced. He couldn't let this injury put him out of this race.

"I-im fine," he said, ignoring how his thigh was spasming in disagreement. He reached for her again. She resisted.

"That… that didn't look fine," Tatiana said, concerned. "I hurt you, Will. I told you-"

"Please," William interjected, desperate. He couldn't do this. He could handle his life falling apart, coming to terms with the fact that he might be a cripple for the rest of his days, but he couldn't handle her pity. 

He didn't want that. Anything but that. 

Tat stopped, looking at him as he basically toed the edge, one wrong word away from going over into a downward spiral. He hated how vulnerable he felt in that moment, how he couldn't get his shit together enough to be the man she had met back at the rodeo. But he knew he couldn't go back to how he had been. He was ruined, emotionally, and he just wanted to have a chance. A chance to prove he was still worthy of her attention despite it.

He didn't want to be her pity project.

"I… I don't," William started, panicking as he realized that neither of them were moving. Tatiana was just staring at him, eyes worried and full of concern."I don't… I don't want to stop." 

"But… Will. You're hurt," she said, gentle, and William hated how he felt better when she cooed at him. She was plactating, trying to soothe him.

He really was a mess. 

"I'm fine. I promise." He tried to be more assertive, but his voice sounded even meeker than before in his own ears. And Tat was looking at him again, not with pity, but something else he couldn't pinpoint. 

When she didn't respond, he panicked further, the confidence from before vanishing as his brain told him he had fucked up. Maybe it was the drugs, or maybe it was the pain, but he thought he heard himself break down, how his voice cracked as tears threatened to join the conversation. 

But they never came. Because Tat was next to him again, snuggled close, and kissing his neck. William couldn't help the breathy exhale that escaped him in surprise to the sudden affection, or how his legs jerked, hooves knocking against the coffee table as her hand found his groin and gave his dick a hard squeeze through the blanket.

"I don't want to stop either," he heard her purr into his ear, and William was shocked at how quickly his libido returned. 

Damn. He went from crying, to full on horny in two seconds. 

The shit she could do to him.

He craned his neck to try and meet her gaze, but she gently pushed his face away, kissed her way up his neck to his cheek, over his scars on the corner of his mouth and over his eye. Her lips ghosted his ear and he squirmed in his seat, cock coaxed out from its hiding spot as she played him like the pied piper.

Tat hummed in his ear, moaned, and he threw his head back against the sofa, legs scrambling for something solid to brace his hooves against. 

"Please," he found himself begging. He had never begged before. He wasn't against it, but fuuuck…

"Please what?"

Damn. If that didn't hit buttons he didn't know he had.

"Just… just want to make you feel good," he whimpered, rutting into her hand like some poor teenager who had just discovered masturbation. He licked her neck, the small scrap she bared to him. His hand farthest from her gripped the couch cushions in a vice, upholstery ripping under his claws. 

"I want that too," she hummed, and William thought that she was giving him another chance. He moved to sit up, to put the work in to make sure she wasn't disappointed, but she pushed him back down with a hand on his chest.

"But I-" he started, confused, and she shushed him with a finger to his lips. 

"We don't have to go fast," Tatiana murred. Her eyes were sultry, pierced right into his soul as he locked gazes with her and refused to look away. She was beautiful. She had always been so, but now? 

She was a goddess, and he her humble servant.

"We can go slow," she continued. She had moved the blanket off his lap and was gently tugging at his cock until the whole thing was bare to the world. His stomach muscles jumped as she touched him, pleasure white hot and scorching, her fingers wrapping around his girth and giving a squeeze. As he jittered in his seat, legs thrown open as pleasure overtook him, she whispered in his ear, "I don't mind making you feel good first. You deserve it."

Her words were like honey, sticky and sweet. His brain licked it up, made his inhibitions melt like icecream in summer and allow this whole thing to just take place. 

She fisted him, slowly dragged her hand up and down the length of him. William's cock twitched with each pull, an eager participant. It took all his will to not immediately cum, and instead he turned his head towards her, pressed his forehead to hers as she continued. 

"You're so big," Tat whispered, sounding very appreciative of the show. He squirmed, thrusted his hips into her hand in time with her strokes. "I can't wait to feel it inside," she added, driving William wild.

"Please," William panted, please apparently the only word he knew now. He was gripping the couch as though it was the only thing keeping him grounded, the poor cushion torn to shreds. He squeezed his eyes shut, groaning as she tightened her hold just a bit around the tip, heightening the sensation. 

William did not consider himself very vocal. Sure, he growled, did dirty talk, but never had anyone made him fall apart like she was right then. She made him want to completely surrender, abandon his pride and let her make him her bitch.

Well, he supposed she had already succeeded in that, because she was asking him what he wanted, nice and slow and comforting, and it contrasted how tight his skin felt, how electric his nerve endings were as she kept teasing the head of his cock. He didn't know whether to cry from frustration, or beg her to just let him cum. 

Words were lost to him for a moment, Tatiana having to repeat herself. "What do you want, baby? You can tell me."

William was trembling, hips losing their rhythm as he felt compelled to answer her. "Please… I'll do anything," he gasped, ruined. "Just- just want to be inside you…"

Tatiana purred, kissed him once. He chased her lips for more but she pulled out of reach and shifted some so that she had a better angle with her hand. He felt her tighten her grip once again, but this time it was enough where he knew that he would only have a few strokes left in him before he would be seeing stars. 

And he wasn't sure he wanted that. Well, he did, he most definitely did. But he didn't want to pop a knot without her on it. He hooked his arm around her waist, pulled her close and tried to suggest she get on his lap again but she loosened her grip, and clicked her tongue in warning.

"Ah ah," she said, all but wagging her finger at him as he whimpered. When he relaxed his arm she resumed where she had left off, and William moaned.

Guess he didn't have a choice. But fuck, was this still hot.

He fixed his gaze on her again, partially because she asked him too and the other half because he didn't want to look away. She cooed, told him he was a good boy, and that she wanted to see him come undone. 

He trembled at her praise, leaning into her petting as her other hand had taken to stroking his hair. The coil in his belly was wound as tight as it could go, and when it snapped he was pushing himself into her fist, holding her arm down so that she was squeezing the base of his cock right below his knot. She got the hint and didn't move, keeping the pressure steady until his knot had fully formed, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. And then it was blissful aftershocks, William breathing hard through his nose. Tat was still pressed to his side, keeping her hand still while she kissed his neck and stroked his hair with the other _._

William nuzzled her hair, shivering as her hand squeezed his knot and jerked another aftershock from him. "S-sorry," he apologized, cheeks flushed. His head was spinning. It had been a while since he had had an orgasm that intense.

Tatiana purred. "Its okay," she said, letting go of his girth to wrap her arm around waist and snuggle into his side. "Take your time."

William nodded, but found himself burying his nose into her hair and breathing deep. It was still damp, and she smelled of his conditioner. He rubbed circles into her hip, enjoying the closeness. 

His alpha was content, happy noises bouncing around in his head. **She wants us,** it cooed. **No more waiting. Not lonely anymore.**

William told the voice to go away. It was ruining the moment. But it did bring some questions up, and he found himself speaking after a moment. 

"Does this mean you're single?" He asked, and Tatiana laughed.

"I've been single since that day you beat Jessie up," she answered, humor tinging her words. "... but, I kinda don't want to be. If you catch my drift."

William smiled, a genuine smile, and held her closer to him. "I wanted you the day we met," he admitted. The smile faded just as quickly as it came however as he thought back on his accident, about his depression. He closed his eyes. 

"I just wish you hadn't seen me… like this."

He was still wearing the same black hoodie he had been wearing for the past week prior to her running into him, unable and unwilling to change it because he had felt safe wearing it. His hair was greasy, unkempt from his decline in personal hygiene. William had no doubt that his eyebags were still present even with his recent 12 hour nap, and he knew that under this hoodie he did not smell like roses. 

He was surprised she had found him attractive at all. He was disgusting. But she was still pressed against him. And when he said he was sorry that she had to look at him, she was hugging him tighter. 

"Don't say that," Tatiana murmured into his neck. He nuzzled her again.

"You're perfect," he whispered, because it was true. His eyes were stinging again and he blinked away the tears. "But you don't have to lie to me…"

She made him feel wonderful. He'd been so tired lately, so numb. Having her near him, with him, was like finding a light in a dark tunnel. He wanted to smile again like he used to. He wanted to soak up her love and hoard it for himself. But he was still broken. His body and his mind and he had to be realistic about it. Her words were sweet, and her actions noble, but he didn't want her to feel as through she had to lie to him. He already knew he was beyond repair.

Tatiana shook her head at his words, pulled away to put her hands on his face and get him to look at her. "Were not going to do that anymore," she told him. Her thumb stroked his cheek, gentle. "Why don't you take a shower? It'll make you feel better. I'll get food started for us while you do."

He leaned into her touch. "I'd rather stay with you," he said.

It was true. He didn't want to be away from her for too long. 

Even though this whole thing was undefined, he was ready to slip into the roles a relationship provided. He wanted to be hers, wanted to play house. He wanted to help her in the kitchen, spend time doing menial tasks like making eggs. William knew she was right, but he didn't want to be away from her. 

He'd been alone enough.

Tatiana smiled at him. "I can go with you " she said. "If you want."

He nodded. Yes. He would like that every much…

Tatiana stood, and held out her hand to help him up. With her assistance, he was on his own two feet again, and they headed for the bathroom.


	10. Returning The Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its his favorite meal ya'll

This wasn't how she had expected her morning to go. But she definitely wasn't complaining.

Tatiana had been struggling for a moment there. She had wanted to kiss him, a sudden urge that she supposed had been rolling around in her head for a while. But she didn't want to push him, didn't even know if he still was interested in her like that.

His flirting at the rodeo had been obvious, and the only reason she hadn't fully committed, asked him if he planned on doing more than just talk, was because of Jessie. But Jessie was long gone, and the feelings she had from the rodeo were back even stronger now that she didn't have the weight of a relationship on her back. William, however, was in a fragile state. She knew that, and she didn't want to take advantage of it.

So she was thrilled when he kissed her. It told her all she had wanted to know.

Tatiana hummed a little to herself as she started the shower, William moving around behind her as he removed his sweater, brace, and shirt.

She felt heat behind her as he stood close, grabbing the fabric of her own hoodie and gently pulling it up. She allowed him to help and soon she was completely bare. William tossed their clothes into the corner somewhere, and she finished setting up the shower before hopping in.

She gave William the spot under the shower head, content to just give him a bit more self care. He needed it, and she was more than willing to provide. 

William hummed a bit in appreciation as the hot water hit his skin, and Tat was treated to the lovely show that was watching the water cascade down the front of him. 

He was no longer cut out of stone like he had been previously, though she had never seen him without a show shirt on prior to now. He was pudgy in places, undefined in the rest. Husky was probably the best term to define it. Not too out of shape, but he wasn't rippling with corded muscle anymore that his job had probably demanded. Even his face had softened a bit, not as sharp in the jaw as Tatiana remembered. 

Still, it didn't bother her. She thought it fit him.

"You're just a big teddy bear," Tatiana said. She could feel his gaze on her.

"I guess I should take it easy on the take out, huh?" 

Ah. There it was.

"I didn't say that," Tatiana replied, looking up at William. He looked uncomfortable with the conversation. She had expected as much. He was a vain creature, not used to not looking his best. She ran her hand up and down his good thigh, making little trails in his wet fur with her fingers. 

"I think you look fine. Great, even. But if it bothers you, we can fix it. But after you're done getting better, yeah?"

She watched him as her words sunk in, and after a moment of consideration he relaxed, nodding.

She smiled. There. That was better.

"I think it's time for a little self care day, don't you think?" Tatiana grabbed the bar of soap that was on the ledge beside her and handed it to him, still petting his leg with her other hand. 

"It has been a while…" WIlliam agreed, voice just sounding above the patter of the shower.

"Mhm." She nudged him to turn around, so that his back was to her and he could focus on his shower. He took the hint, started to wash himself. Tatiana took the soap from him once he was done, and washed his back (or what she could reach anyway). 

Her soapy fingers slid over his skin, and she felt the raised edges of the huge scars running horizontally across his upper back. She needn't ask what they were. She had known his extra arms were gone, had felt the empty space when she had hugged him when they had met on the street. These were the lasting effects of his accident, and she took care when touching them. 

The scars were red, angry. She didn't know if they hurt, but they looked upset, still too fresh to have settled.

She couldn't fathom what it felt like to lose a limb. She had heard it was painful, the brain unable to figure out that it no longer had the amputated appendage. William had lost two. He was probably always aching, always feeling ghosts that weren't there…

Tatiana lingered only for a few moments more before she finished washing the rest of his back, and then stepped back so he could rinse. 

William washed his hair and then offered to switch with her, to which she did. As he soaped his fur, Tatiana tipped her head back and let the water run over her hair.

Williams shower was different. It was large, big enough to accommodate an 8 foot tall angel. The floor of the tub was rubber matting, on account of William's hooves. Tat didn't mind it. It had some give to it, like it doubled as therapeutic matting as well as safety gear. His shower also had a lovely rain shower-head, the water a steady, gentle cascade.

Tat sighed, the hot water feeling nice on her scalp. She ran her fingers through her curls, soaking them again. When she opened her eyes, William was watching her. 

"Need the water?" She asked, ready to move. He shook his head.

"No… I was just watching," he admitted. She giggled.

"Well, like what you see?"

"Yes…"

Tatiana wiggled her eyebrows at him, but turned around to finish wetting her hair. As she did, she felt Williams' legs brush up against her body, and skin brush her back.

"I didn't get a chance to return the favor," he murmured in her ear, Tat suddenly aware of how he was caging her against the wall of the shower. Both of his arms now bracketed either side of her head, and she could feel the lack of water on her back as he blocked the stream with his own. 

"Dont worry about me," Tatiana replied, though her face flushed at the position they were in. "I-I'm sure there will be… other chances."

"...Like now?" He asked, licking the shell of her ear as he hovered above her.

Tatiana couldn't help the shiver his voice evoked from her, pleasant chills racing up and down her arms, over her shoulders. He was close, very close. She could hear him breathing, steady and slow, so close to her ear. Instinctually, she tilted her head, bearing her neck. She wasn't disappointed when William slotted his head in the vacant space, nuzzling what was offered.

Williams lips soon replaced the gentle rubbing on her neck, instead sucking the skin. She felt a slight burn, gasped, and William purred as he pulled away. She brought her hand up, felt the slightly raised area with the pad of her thumb. It was a hickey.

"Wanna mark you up," his husky voice was in her ear again, guttural and low. It made Tatiana's stomach do flips. 

"O-oh."

She could roll with this.

His soapy legs gently nudged her forwards, pressing into the back of her thighs and making her lean forward to catch herself. William purred as she arched her back to keep from sliding down the shower wall, and Tat felt one of his massive hands press between her shoulderblades in a silent command to stay put. She forgot how big and strong William was for a moment as she gave in to his touch, how he could so easily snap her like a twig if he wanted. 

She stayed, anxious to know what was next. 

His nuzzled her again, purring in her ear. His teeth found the hickey he had just left behind, and bit it. The pain wasn't unpleasant, but she hissed anyway, and he she felt his lips curve into a smirk.

"Feisty…" he rumbled as he pulled back, and she whimpered a bit.

His hands left her body and there was movement behind her, Tat unable to see exactly what was happening. She heard a soft grunt, and then William was telling her to turn around.

"Come here," he rumbled behind her, sounding far off. Tatiana pushed herself off the wall to see what he wanted. 

He was sitting on the floor of the shower, crooking his fingers in a come hither fashion. Tatiana blushed, noted how much his bedroom stare turned her on, and approached him.

Once close enough, she expected him to tell her to sit on his lap, like earlier. His knot was gone, having deflated once it realized it wasn't in a warm body. She wasn't sure how long his refractory period was, but she was going to have to tell him no. As much as she wanted to have that monster of a cock stretch her open, she didn't want to hurt him searching for her own pleasure.

But William just put his hands on her hips as she stood over him, looked up at her through lowered lashes. "I want you to sit on my face," he stated, matter of factly, and Tatiana felt her pussy practically meow at the proposition. 

"What?" She asked, more out of surprise than anything else. William smirked. 

"Don't be shy," he said, sliding his hands over her hips, ass, and the back of her thighs. He urged her closer, Tatiana taking a few more steps before her groin was level with his face. If she wanted to protest, he didn't give her the option. He winked at her before hiking one of her legs up and putting it over his shoulder and burying his face into her snatch.

Tatiana gasped, fell forwards so that she was using the wall for support again. One of her hands flew down to the head of onyx hair between her legs, fisted his hair as one wicked tongue sought so see her come undone.

"Shit!" 

William let out a growl, tongue licking at her like she was water and he a man who had been stranded out in the desert. Tatiana had been eaten out before, but it was always half assed and she hadn't felt anything, the guy doing it usually doing it out of obligation than enthusiasm. William, on the other hand, was making her feel all sorts of things, and was happy as could be doing it.

Her legs shook, thighs squeezing his head a bit as her pleasure peaked and ebbed with his motions. She couldn't predict what he was going to do, so she was very much just along for the ride. 

It was a good fucking ride though. She bit her lip, moaned. Her partner's fingers dug into the meat of her thighs, claws pricking the skin. He moved his tongue, plunged it into her repeatedly, laving at her insides with careful strokes. His tongue was slightly rough, like a cat's but not as barbed and sandpapery. Tatiana trembled in response, pulled his hair a bit as she ground her hips against his face. 

Fuck. Just like that.

William moaned into her, and she keened, arching her back as the vibrations of his voice made things ten times better. "K… keep doing that," she begged, biting her lip again as she ground against him a bit more. He seemed happy to oblige, rumbling again as his tongue slowly fucked her. 

The pleasure was quickly mounting. She wouldn't be much longer, provided he didn't stop. William didn't seem to be in any rush to prevent her from finishing, hands holding her steady, even encouraging her to grind down against him harder. Her breath was coming out in ragged pants and she kept trying to not pull his hair too much, but every lick had her gripping onto him for dear life.

"Sweet Jesus…" she whimpered, looking down at him. He was busy at his task, but she loosened her grip on his hair enough to reposition her hand and get him to look up at her as he worked. 

His steady bedroom stare was the final piece to the puzzle, and she was coming soon after, gasping. Her whole body seized up, Williams fingers digging further into her legs as she rocked against him. He stopped fucking her with his tongue to suck on her clit instead, drawing out her orgasm until she was whimpering, begging him to stop. 

"S-sensititive…" she panted, voice wrung out from ecstacy. William withdrew, and she finally let herself relax as her cunt was able to stop spasming like no tomorrow. 

It took her a second to get her bearings. William's hands were gently petting her hips, a steady purr still resonating from his chest and just barely being heard over the patter of the shower behind her. 

"Good?" William asked, and Tatiana smirked, still a little out of breath.

"You know how to treat a lady."

"Just you," he replied, and she blushed. 

"Missed your smooth talk, not gonna lie," Tatiana murmured, removing her leg from his shoulder and offering her hand to him to help him up. He took it, and once standing leaned down to nuzzle her. Tatiana returned the gesture, pleased with the attention.

"You better finish your shower. We have a busy day ahead of us."

William tilted his head. "We do?"

Tatiana nodded, moving so that he could have access to the shower again. "Mhm. We're gonna go grocery shopping. I'll cook. And maybe get you some muscle relaxers for your leg, so it doesn't act up again." She looked at him. "...And maybe some clothes for myself, so I don't have to wear the same outfit every day."

William perked at that. "How long are you going to stay?" He asked, trying hard to not look too excited but failing. She chuckled. She loved his enthusiasm. 

"As long as you want me too. I have a lot of vacation days saved up. My job won't miss me," she said. William looked like she had just told him he had won the lottery. 

"You sure?"

"Mhm. Now hurry up. I don't wanna go when it's too busy."

She patted William's behind, the angel huffing slightly at her in reply, but he acquiesced, and resumed his shower.


	11. What A Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Target is honestly where its hoppin'.

William finished his shower, and for the first time in months felt a desire to look presentable.

He brushed his hair and teeth, and while most of his clothes didn't fit him anymore due to the extra pounds he had gained, he found a nice knit sweater that covered him enough where he felt comfortable. Tatiana had remarked how nice his sweater looked, and while it was silly, her words gave him a bit more confidence. 

He'd been living miserably for so long that her encouragement was greatly appreciated. If she thought he looked good, then he trusted her. 

Tatiana had put on her outfit from the other day and they both finished their coffees on the couch before it was time to brave the outdoors.

Tatiana was checking her purse, making sure she had her wallet and phone. William was standing behind her, but the longer she took the more he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go out. 

She was safe. She didn't make him feel like he was disfigured. But everyone else stared, judged him. Or at least it felt like it.

He didn't want to displease her, to tell her no, but his anxiety was mounting as the seconds ticked by. He knew he had to do as she said, because she was right, he needed to go shopping for more than just painkillers and toothpaste. 

**Not so bad,** his alpha reassured him.  **She comes with us. Better this way.**

William frowned. He couldn't disagree. She had already made him feel so much better. Enough so that he had actually  _ tried _ to not look like a hermit, the sweater he had worn a big step in a new direction considering his wardrobe the last few months. But while that was an improvement, he wasn't sure it was a big enough one to say he would be confident out in public.

_ I need to stop worrying,  _ WIlliam eventually thought to himself, Tat opening the door once she determined she had everything.  _ I can't hide forever. _

But while he told himself this, his whole frame grew tense as they exited the apartment, the deadbolt locking as he turned the key to his front door sounding extra loud to his ears. 

He willed himself to not think about it too much. He could do this. He was capable. 

His hands were shaking, betraying him.

No you can't, they mocked. 

Anxiety filled him, fuller and fuller until he was afraid it might overflow. And just as it got to that point, where he felt like he might suffocate, Tatiana looped her arm through his, and leaned against him slightly.

"You okay?" 

The sensation of being overwhelmed quickly dissipated. Well, not completely, but enough where he could push past it, stop thinking about how he was out of his house and not inside it. 

Her body was warm against his hip in the cool autumn air, Tatiana leaning on his good leg as she waited for him to reply. He took a second to think about it, before letting go of his door handle and subsequently telling his self conscious that he wasn't going to hide anymore. At least not today.

"Yeah," he said. "Just… It's been a while. I haven't really gone out since the accident."

Tatiana nodded in understanding. "Are you sure you want to go? I can go by myself."

But I'd prefer if we went together, was the unsaid part of her sentence, and William found that he agreed with it. He wanted to be with her, and that meant going outside. 

He would have to relearn being confident, but if it meant he got to do more with her…

Well, he was ready to bite the bullet.

"No, I want to go," he said, stooping down to kiss her. He pressed his forehead to hers after. "I'll be okay. Promise."

Tatiana gave him a soft smile in turn, and then gave his hand a squeeze. "Well, let's go then."

The walk to the store was pleasant. They talked on the way there, which was a good distraction and it kept William from focusing on other people. Tatiana was pressed to his side the whole way, a steady warmth that he took great delight and pride in. His alpha was prancing around in his head the whole time, wanting to do nothing more than show off their newfound lover to everyone and anyone. 

**So pretty,** it would say.  **Best female. All ours. Kind and good.**

William told it to be quiet more times than he could count, but he did agree with its words.

She really was the best. He was truly lucky.

When they arrived at the store, Tatiana led the way. William really had no idea what they were there for, besides things for the kitchen he assumed and maybe a few other things. He waited for her to start pushing the cart through the store, and she did, but not before pulling a piece of paper out of her purse and handing it to him.

"Whats this?" He asked, taking it from her. A quick read and he found it was a list. 

"I wrote down everything that you were out of. But I don't know what brands of things you like, or if you really need any of it," Tatiana said next to him, placing her purse in the cart. "I thought it might be useful to have a list, so that way it can jog your memory?"

Wiliam blinked. She'd done this for him? Granted, it was just a list, like every other grocery store list ever. However, his alpha was purring loudly in his head and the affection he was feeling from the simple gesture made him convinced it meant much more to him than he had anticipated.

"It does," he answered after a moment. "Thank you…"

Tatiana gently rubbed his thigh with her hand. "No problem."

They started to go around the store. It wasn't the same small grocer he had been to yesterday. It was the Target several blocks in the opposite direction and had two floors for the customers shopping convenience. 

William mostly followed Tatiana. He didn't mind shopping, but his head wasn't fully in the game still. There weren't many people in the store at eleven in the morning on a Wednesday, which helped, but he was more or less distracted by his alpha constantly pointing out how nice her ass looked in that skirt she was wearing.

And how much  _ better _ it would look if he rolled the whole thing up and bent her over the nearest horizontal surface…

Okay, so maybe he wasn't that pressed about about his appearance after all, considering he was apparently okay with getting a boner in the fucking deodorant aisle. 

Thankfully, he was given a reprieve by Tatiana, who asked him if he could go the next aisle over and grab her a toothbrush. Maybe a few minutes deciding which hunk of plastic she might like would be enough distraction to get his blood to pump back towards his brain instead of his dick.

As William wandered off, Tatiana grabbed the deodorant she wanted, and then moved to the next aisle over. She needed shampoo, and Will's was not the type for her hair. She had had to leave the conditioner in after both showers because his absolutely stripped her curls of any moisture, and she was not about having crispy hair. 

She pondered over which one she wanted, bending over to get a better look at the ones on the bottom shelf. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone else come into the aisle, but didn't pay it much mind. Her cart was off to the side so she shouldn't be in the way at all-

"Well, damn, Tat. Isn't this a sight for sore eyes," Jessie crooned behind her, and she immediately scowled.

Great. Just who she wanted to run into, of all people.

"Jessie," she muttered, standing back up after picking the shampoo and conditioner she wanted. She turned to the blonde angel. "What are you doing here?"

"Last show was nearby. My hotel is down the street," Jessie answered, but didn't seem ready to talk about himself, for once. He whistled long and slow, looking her up and down appreciatively. "I ain't never seen you dressed up like this. Got a corporate job?"

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "Federal, actually. Not that it's any of your business."

"Aw, come on, sweetheart. You still upset about the summer?"

"I wouldn't call it upset. I always had a feeling you were a dog."

It was true. She was long over Jessie. He had been a mistake and nothing more. Another stain on her short list of relationships, but otherwise not a name she thought of often, if at all.

"Ouch. But fair," Jessie said, stepping a little closer. "But, say, since I'm in town, what if I make it up to you? Go for drinks? My treat, of course."

Apparently he couldn't take a hint.

Ugh. What had possessed her to fuck him in the first place? He was Grade A Fuck Boi if she ever saw one...

Tatiana sneered. "No thanks, Jessie. I'm busy."

"Buying shampoo?"

"Yes, actually," God he was dense. "Now- oh, thank you,  _ William _ ." She looked behind Jessie as Williams' massive frame started coming down the aisle. Jessie stepped back, apparently surprised to hear that William was around, and gave his former friend a bit of a wide berth as the other angel stalked past him to hand her the toothbrush she had sent him to fetch.

"Can I help you?" William then said to Jessie, a faint growl lacing his words. Tatiana would admit it sounded quite nice.

"Man… what fucked you up?" Jessie replied after a moment's pause, making William bristle in agitation. Jessie put his hands up in front of him. "I mean, not to be rude, but  **fuck.** "

"How is that not rude?" William snapped, the rumble in his chest exponentially louder. 

"Jesus, Will. You're fucking scary. Have you looked at yourself?"Jessie shook his head. "Did you get in a bullpen or something? Like, for real."

The blonde looked at Tatiana, as though she was supposed to back him up, and Tatiana wanted to vomit.

"He was in a trailer wreck, you jackass," Tatiana spat in reply, moving so that she was in front of William. She wasn't going to let Jessie fuck up the good work William had been doing. He'd been really productive today, considering how he had been before she had found him, and she didn't want him to backslide. 

He'd hurt enough. He didn't need some asswipe's comments dredging him back into another depressive episode.

"Trailer… oh shit, that was  _ you _ on the news?" The blonde angel ran a hand through his hair, laughing a bit, but neither Tat or William could discern if it was from shock or if Jessie actually found it funny. 

"I saw it, on the TV at the bar day after you fucking broke my nose, you know. But I didn't think it was you," Jessie continued. Tat wondered if he might actually be trying to think of something apologetic to say, but she didn't put much stock on it. 

Jessie wasn't the type to apologize.

A quick look at William and she noted how visibly upset he was, all tense lines and curled lip. 

William, meanwhile, was growling his discontent at the whole situation. He really didn't know how he had used to think of Jessie as a friend. He was clearly an asshole and had no empathy for anyone or anything, if this whole conversation was anything to go by. 

He opened his mouth to warn Jessie that he was pushing his limits. He was in no mood for his shit, and if Jessie thought having his nose broken was bad then he definitely didn't want to see what can of whoop ass William was going to crank open soon if he didn't stop. But before he could lay into the golden angel, Tatiana was touching his side, telling him Jessie wasn't worth the effort as she stroked his fur.

"Let's just go, Will," she said. "Jessie's an asshole, but he doesn't have to ruin our day."

She was speaking calmly, but William could feel the undercurrent of anger in her voice. Still, she was right. Jessie wasn't worth it, and he didn't want to waste time dealing with him if he didn't have to. He'd come here with Tat, and he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her.

"Okay," was all he said, relaxing his shoulders he hadn't realized he'd hunched in a threatening posture. 

Jessie, however, was watching the two of them, and as if he couldn't just leave well enough alone, he had to butt in again.

"Wait wait," he said, stopping the two from leaving. He pointed at them, eyebrows raising into his hairline. "Are… are you two  _ together _ ?"

Tatiana frowned. "Yes. And what about it?"

Jessie started laughing. "I… holy shit."

"What's so funny?" William rumbled lowly, the anger from before returning. His alpha was snarling in his head, gnashing his teeth as Jessie just kept cackling.

"I mean, Jesus fuck Will. I said you could have my sloppy seconds, but I didn't think you'd actually fucking do it!" Jessie barked, holding his stomach he was laughing so hard. "And damn babe. Talk about me, but at least I don't go around fucking peoples best friends. At least wade out of the pool a little bit."

**Hurt him,** the alpha roared in response to Jessie's mocking. William could almost feel it scraping its proverbial claws along the inside of his skull, wanting nothing more than to make Jessie pay for his insults. The intrusive thoughts were not unwarranted, but William tried to keep his composure. If he flew into a Rage here, it wouldn't be like at the rodeo. He might actually fucking kill Jessie.

But the other's laughter was ringing in his ears, jeering and loud. It was chipping away at his barriers, the alpha howling, demanding William do something-

He must've moved forwards, because he felt Tatiana put her arm out, stopping him from progressing. He looked down, maybe to tell her it was fine.  _ He  _ wouldn't get hurt. 

Just Jessie.

But she looked at him, and the silent command was to let her handle it. There was an anger swirling in her usually gentle eyes, and he wisely didn't argue. 

Jessie was still laughing, really cracking himself up. He didn't see Tatiana until she was right there, and she smacked him so hard Jessie's head whipped to the side from the impact. 

"The fuck-"

Tatiana didn't let him continue, slapping him again. Jessie actually had to step away, put distance between them because he had apparently underestimated Tatiana and her strength. The second hit was as hard as the first, and Jessie actually had tears in his eyes from the pain. 

"He can't hit you," Tatiana started, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder in Williams' direction. "Because he'd kill you. But I sure as hell can, you fucking bitch."

Jessie sneered at her, holding his cheek. He was pressed up against the bodywash shelves, leaning his head far away in an effort to avoid being hit again. "You're fucking crazy," he spat. "Psycho ass bitch."

"Yeah, well, you weren't saying that four months ago. I'm only crazy cause I'm not in your corner, and I'm fucking glad I'm not." Tatiana replied. "You're a piece of shit, Jessie, and a Two Pump Chump at that. No wonder your fucking flings leave after a while. Can't keep it up to save your fucking life."

Jessie's ears pinned, but he became more angry at her jabs towards his performance in bed. "Watch it," he growled.

Tat faked a lung at him, and Jessie proved once again he was all bark and no bite. He flinched at her feint, and Tatiana laughed. 

"That's what I thought," she hissed, and turned away, heading back to William and their cart. Once the few feet back over to her things, she smiled at William. "Let's go," she chirped. 

William didn't protest. Jessie had gotten his ass handed to him again, and he'd be lying if he didn't say her little protective display didn't turn him on. 

He liked her fire. She didn't need to be coddled and she didn't need to be protected. She was an independent woman, and the fact that she had chosen him?

He was very, very lucky.

"Of course," he hummed, bending to give her a kiss when she tilted her head up in his direction. He put a hand on her shoulder and pressed her to his side after.

As they started to walk away, Jessie scrambled to stop leaning against the bodywash shelves. "Gonna let a woman fight your battles?" He asked. 

"She did exemplary, " William replied over his shoulder. "And she's right. I don't want to go to jail for putting you through the floor."

Jessie sputtered some more nonsense behind them, one of those people that didn't know when to just walk away from a fight they couldn't win, but neither Tat nor William entertained it. 

They continued their shopping, and after a moment Tatiana was sighing. "Can't believe I slept with that," she groaned. 

"Can't believe I used to room with him," William added, and smiled a bit when she laughed.

"Wait, really?" At his nod, she laughed again. "Ew. God, that sounds horrible."

"It was. I moved out after six months."

Tatiana giggled a bit more, and William was glad she didn't seem bothered. Jessie had definitely stabbed at a few sore spots there for him, but he'd been more upset that Jessie felt the urge to drag her too, for absolutely no reason. 

His alpha grumbled as they thought about it. Jessie was definitely a waste of space. If they ever saw him again and Tat wasn't around, he'd make sure the other angel ate dirt.

"You alright?" he heard her ask from beside him, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Are you?" 

She shrugged, and William didn't like that too much. He gently squeezed her shoulder. 

"I'm okay," she said, though there was a slight delay to her saying it. "Just… he reminded me of someone."

William frowned a bit. He didn't want to press, but the way she had suddenly shut down was concerning. "Was this other person… like Jessie?" He asked after a moment, because the need to know was eating at him. Not for his own curiosity, but because he wanted to know how to fix it.

He didn't ever want her to be upset. And right now, she was upset. In a way he hadn't expected her to be either. Anger yes, but this sadness was… different.

She didn't give in right away, but when she did it was a one word reply. "...Worse."

It was all he needed to know.

Toxic relationships seemed to be pretty common, though William couldn't fathom why people decided to treat their significant others like trash. It just went against the idea of a relationship. To be together meant you liked and trusted the other. Why bother if you could only think of your partner in a sexual way, and not as a lifelong companion? Or, why keep someone around if you didn't even like them to begin with?

But humans were strange. He'd learned that long ago. Some angels were like that too, he was sure, but it still boggled his mind on how regular it was on Earth.

"I won't be like that," he said, wanting to reassure her. And it was true. The only thing he wanted to do was love her unconditionally. Even though it was day one of their self proclaimed relationship, he already knew that he would move heaven and earth for her if she asked. 

Tatiana looked at him. "I know," she said, and gently squeezed his hand on her shoulder. 

They finished their shopping and walked home. When they got back to his apartment, William's leg was starting to ache. It had been a while since he had been out for that stretch of time. 

Tatiana offered to make lunch while he rested his leg. They had bought some maximum strength muscle relaxers for him to try, and William was hopeful they would at least make it so he didn't have to fear her pressing on his scar would be too painful. He still wanted to try and get her to ride him at some point, but he knew she wouldn't do it if he was still sore.

Though she offered to make lunch by herself, William assisted her anyway. He was tired of being stationary, and she had already done so much for him. 

"I should be treating you," he said, nuzzling her neck as she cut up lettuce for sandwiches. "Taking you out for dinner, a movie."

Tatiana hummed, bearing a bit more of her neck to him. "This is fine too," she said, setting the knife down to bury her fingers in his hair as he kissed her jugular. "I like staying in as much as I do nights out."

William kissed her neck, gentle. "Tomorrow," he said after a few more kisses. "I'll plan something."

He didn't know what, but he would figure it out. In the meantime, he was content to show his appreciation with more touches and kisses, to which his companion didn't seem to mind. Eventually though, she did remind him that they were in the middle of cooking, and he reluctantly let her go so that they could return to the task at hand.

After lunch, they spent the rest of the day watching TV, and just relaxing. Dinner was simple, but tasty, and William was pretty sure he had delayed it by twenty minutes because they had gotten distracted making out while she had been busy prepping. 

"You're bad," Tatiana had panted, smiling as she pushed him away to finish putting the chicken in the oven. 

William had taken that as a compliment. 

Dinner was over. William was cleaning up the dishes, washing them. Since she had done most of the cooking, he had said he would do the cleaning and she had seemed happy with the arrangement. 

As he finished up, William noted how quiet the house was. The TV was off now, and so were the lights as he exited the kitchen. He looked down the hallway to where his bedroom was, and saw that the light was on in there. He glanced at the time. 

It was pretty late. She must've gone to lay down. 

Now that he thought about it, he was pretty tired. Today had been pretty exciting, save for running into Jessie. William went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, taking delight in noticing her products scattered about his bathroom. 

It had only been a day, and yet he wasn't sure he remembered what his place looked like without her stuff in it.

He brushed his teeth and put his hair up, then shed his sweater into the dirty clothes hamper next to the shower. He made sure the front door was locked and all the lights off before heading to his bedroom.

Upon entering, William had to stop himself from loudly purring his approval. She was nestled in his bed, looking as comfortable as could be, and like she had been there forever. She had chosen the side farthest from the door as her spot, tucked in under his covers. She looked a little sleepy, like he had disturbed her from dozing off, and he quickly turned off the light to join her.

Tatiana was warm when he got under the covers. She rolled over, her back to him, and patted her hip to suggest he come closer. When he did, she snuggled up right up when he curled around her.

"Your fur is so soft," she hummed, and William was purring. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest as they lay together. 

"You fit perfectly," was his reply, and she chuckled a little. 

"Feels nice," she agreed. She squeezed his hand, then lifted it to press a kiss to his knuckles. William purred louder at the affection, curled around her more as if to keep unseen eyes from prying into their tender moment. He scented her neck, rubbed his chin along her nape and shoulder.

Inside, he felt a burning urge to say he loved her. Because he did. He loved her with every fiber of his being. He loved her so much so that, like this, he felt complete. He had never been more content than right now, holding her in his arms, feeling her heartbeat, hearing her breathing.

But he didn't. Not for the shame of saying it, but because it had only been a day. He could ruin it if he confessed his secret, that his feelings were so intense. His alpha disagreed, told him that they should tell her, but William ignored it. 

He didn't want to move too fast. They were already going pretty quickly, but saying the big three could make it awkward. 

William didn't want to risk it. The pace they were going now was perfect, and he wanted to keep it that way. 


	12. The Big Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really need to start thinking about the proportions of this man's house.

Tatiana was roused from her slumber early the next morning by Williams' voice in her ear. He said something along the lines of if she was going to wake up for him, and she smiled sleepily before opening her eyes and turning slightly to look at him.

"Morning," he purred, looking at her like she was some sort of precious treasure. She blushed under the weight of his stare.

"Morning," she replied, eyes fluttering shut as William nuzzled her gently. 

Mmmm… she liked when he did that.

"I made you something," he whispered, and Tat opened her eyes again. Made her something?

"What is it?" She asked, curiosity piqued. William smiled. 

"In the kitchen." Another nuzzle. "You ready to get up?"

Tatiana pouted at his request, but acquiesced anyway. She rolled out of his comfortable bed and followed him to the kitchen for her surprise.

Really, she had no idea what to expect. William hadn't given her any hints, and she didn't think he had bought anything yesterday. She was as clueless as clueless could be, and she supposed that was the point. 

It made her surprise that much better.

When she rounded the corner of the kitchen, and saw the impressive spread William had laid out for them both, she couldn't help but smile.

William was definitely learning that the way to her heart was through her stomach, if his full service breakfast was any indication. "You know me so well," she crooned, giving him a kiss when he bent down for one. 

"You deserve it," he replied, cheeks coloring slightly at her comment. "You took care of me, did so much…" He kissed her again. "I want to spoil you in return."

Tat hummed, fluttering her lashes at him. "Well, if it means stuff like this, then I am all for it," she agreed. "I won't say no to a little pampering."

"Good."

And boy, was it good. Tatiana couldn't remember the last time she had had food this delicious. It prompted her to ask William if he was a culinary student or something, to which the angel just replied he had always liked cooking but was self taught.

Tat wished that was the case. She could cook and was the best in her circle, but William's skills were making her green with envy. 

After breakfast, Tatiana offered to help clean. She didn't mind being pampered, but she felt guilty if she didn't help somewhat. 

William had dirtied enough dishes for them to use the dishwasher. Tat wished she had known about it when she had done all his dishes by hand the other day, but didn't think about it too much. 

She was loading it up when she noticed William was taking longer and longer to come back from the living room with the dishes. She peeked behind her as she was putting a plate into the dishwasher, and saw William openly staring at her ass. She grinned.

"See something?" She asked, teasingly.

She hadn't worn any underwear last night under her sleep shirt. She was surprised William hadn't noticed, with how his hands had been all over her while they were in bed, but she supposed it was a good thing. Now she could tease him while she was awake.

Tatiana hiked her sleep shirt up a little higher, enough where she was positive he could see what she was completely bare underneath. He didn't miss it, and she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed at the show.

She chuckled, stood back up. She reached for another dish, but instead knocked the towel off the counter. William still hadn't moved from his spot in the living room, giving her plenty of opportunity to do as she wished.

"Oops," she said, in regards to the towel. She went to pick it up, hiking her sleep shirt all the way up over her hips as she bent at the waist and touched the towel. She looked at William from her new position, his image upside down considering she was looking at him from between her legs, and grinned. 

"Is this better?" She wiggled her behind at him, and William finally moved.

She stood back up as he came into the kitchen, intent on going back to loading the dishwasher like nothing had happened. But William had other plans. 

When he reached her, he kicked the dishwasher closed and scooted her over so that she was standing where the door had previously been open, then bent her over the countertop. Tatiana huffed but couldn't deny how wet she was all of a sudden. She could feel her pussy clenching and unclenching in earnest, a definite wetness dipping down the inside of her thighs after a few seconds. 

"Tease," William panted behind her, and she moaned a bit at how strung out he sounded.

"Am I?" She earned a growl in response, and if possible it made her even wetter.

Her toes were still touching the ground, which meant she was nowhere near dick height. William seemed to realize this at the same time she did, for he was suddenly picking her up, and scooting her further onto the countertop. 

Tat had had to use a stool last night when she had used the counter to cook stuff. It was too high for her to use comfortably, but was no doubt just right for William. He used that to his advantage, resting her against the counter so that her legs were handing off and her entire torso was on his granite countertop. 

The stone was cold, biting through her sleepshirt and making her nipples pebble. She hissed a bit at the feeling, but was soon humming in appreciation as William pressed against her from behind, the hard outline of his still sheathed cock rubbing against her bare pussy.

"You're soaked," he murred, appreciative. She didn't get a chance to make a retort before she was moaning as she felt two fingers slip inside her carefully. 

Williams' hands were clawed. Some angels had them, and some didn't. Tatiana didn't mind, but she knew she wouldn't be getting any serious trigger fingers for obvious reasons. She made sure she didn't move, more or less enjoying the stretch as William gently moved them back and forth inside her, going pretty shallow so as not to accidentally hurt her. Still felt good though, soft noises of pleasure leaving her throat the whole while.

William pulled out after a while. His fingers were coated, shiny from being inside her. His alpha was very pleased, and William couldn't disagree. Seeing how wet she was was definitely a confidence booster, and he rubbed himself against her a bit more before taking himself in hand and easing his sheathe down so that he could actually get his dick in her. 

Tatiana was patient. She could feel him stroking himself behind her and the idea was enough to make her keen loudly. William sucked in a breath at the sound, and she suddenly felt his hands on her waist, pinning her against the counter. 

His cock, now bare, was rubbing against her slit, velvety skin hot on her lips. She squirmed under his hold, excitement making her pulse quicken. She'd been wanting to do this since yesterday after getting him off on the couch. That had been hot as fuck, but Tatiana had an urge to see what it felt like to be at his mercy. 

Was he gentle, like his kisses and nuzzles? Or was he rough? Was he demanding? Did he like to hold her down or did he like it if she fucked herself on his cock for him?

She had a definite size difference kink, and William's large hands keeping her from moving her definitely ticking boxes for her. She whimpered as he shifted behind her, felt the head of his dick prod at her entrance. 

Tatiana bit her lip as he slowly pressed into her. His legs were trembling, so she knew he was fighting the urge to plunge into her. She was grateful, because after a moment the stretch turned into a burn, and she huffed a bit. 

William pulled back, gave her a second to adjust, before pressing in again. He got farther, but Tat was out of practice. She had been in a dry spell since the rodeo, her vibrator her only companion and she didn't use it for internal stimulation.

No, William's cock was going to be her first since the summer, and while she was thrilled, she was kind of wishing she had at least used her dildos. 

He pulled back again, panting. She had no idea how far they were, and if she could even get him to bottom out. Tatiana really fucking hoped so. She would be devastated if she couldn't. 

"I-Im not hurting you, right?" He asked, and she moaned. 

"No," she panted. "Keep going.  _ Please _ ."

He whimpered at her begging and she felt him press into her again. He was filling her up, she could feel it. God he was huge. It was scary, but thrilling at the same time. 

She reached back, grabbed his wrist. "Don't stop," she said. "Fuck, I wanna feel you all the way,"

William gripped her hips tighter. "I don't want to hurt you," he said, but his voice was strained. 

"You won't. God, baby, you'd never hurt me. Would you?"

"N-no," WIlliam keened. His hips were rocking, miniature strokes that drove her wild. She gripped his wrist tighter.

"Please, sweetheart-"

The next second she saw stars, felt the blunt head shove against her cervix and her walls stretch the last little bit to accommodate William. She yelped in response, but it soon morphed into a loud moan of appreciation. Yes, yes! This is exactly what she wanted. It felt so good!

William was gasping behind her, rocking his hips into her ass as she gripped him like a vice. He had been trying to be good, resist just shoving all the way in when he had started to bottom out, but he hadn't wanted to hurt her. Her begging set him off though, made him do it because she had asked him for it. Now he was inside her, her walls scorching hot and trembling as he filled her. 

God, he thought he might bust from that alone. Her pussy was milking him for all he was worth, and they hadn't even started moving.

"You're huge!" Tat mewled, and he bent over her, caging her beneath his body.

He was going to fuck her into oblivion. Finally being inside her, hearing her sing his praises, it was all better than he could have imagined. No, it was like she was made for him, and he, her. 

He rocked against her some more, groaning in her ear as she clawed at the granite for purchase. She felt so fucking good. He almost didn't want to pull out, but his alpha snapped at him to stop teasing. She was trembling around him, pushing back against him for friction. Obviously she was needy and he was obligated to help her. 

He put his hands back on her waist and canted his hips, pulling back so that just the tip was left in before pushing forwards in a straight rush. Her resulting scream of ecstasy marked the start of it, and William was positive he was in nirvana.

Tatiana was hanging on for dear life as William found his rhythm and stuck with it. Every thrust had her making all sorts of noises, but she was pretty sure William was going to get a noise complaint at some point with how his dick made her scream. 

She had never imagined it would feel like this. William was fucking perfect. He fit into her so nicely, made her feel so, so full. She kept clawing at his countertop, looking for something to hold onto to keep herself from losing her mind from the pleasure, but it's slick, cool surface was unsympathetic. 

The lewd slapping sounds of his thighs against her ass echoed in the kitchen, and she could hear how soaked she was underneath each loud  _ pap _ . William was drilling into her, pushing her hips into the edge of the counter so hard it started to hurt, but she found it just added another layer to her pleasure. 

His claws were digging into her skin, blunt enough where he didn't tear her to pieces but still sharp. Tatiana didn't care. She liked the way they felt, how everything felt. He was hitting all the right buttons, the pleasure in her belly building steadily.

"I'm gonna…" she warned, clenching down on William as he thrust into her. He let a strangled moan in response, gave a few more hearty thrusts, before he stilled, panting harshly.

"Why-" Tatiana started to whine, upset that he stopped moving. He leaned forwards and tilted her head to the side, kissed her like his life depended on it. She melted into it, kissing him back, and when they pulled away to breathe he answered her.

"Turn over," he said, voice ragged and sultry. 

Tatiana didn't object. Though she whined again when he pulled out of her, left her feeling empty and wanting, it was short lived. As soon as she was on her back he was back inside her again, filling her back up in one fell stroke. 

God, it felt as good as the first time. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it.

She was treated to the view as William held her thighs, picking up where he had left off. The angle was different; she didn't feel like she'd split at the seams if he fucked her too hard, but it was still mind blowing. He held her legs, kissing the inside of her calf before biting the sensitive skin there and driving her wild.

The coil was building up again. Tighter and tighter. William knew this time he wouldn't be able to hold himself back either. It had taken all his willpower to do so the first time, to stop himself from pushing them both off the cliff of pleasure. But not anymore.

She was squeezing him, head thrown back in ecstasy as he thrust into her without abandon. Her back was arched off the counter, hands bracing against the backsplash to keep her from hitting her head on it by accident. He pulled her closer towards him to make sure he didn't, and earned a happy squeal as the action drove him even deeper into her. 

A low growl thundered out of his chest. "I'm gonna fuck you over every surface of this house," he grunted out, Tatiana whimpering.

"Please," she said, panting harshly, one hand snaking down to grab one of her breasts and squeeze it. 

The angel let out another appreciative sound at the display. He let her legs go, Tatiana wrapping them around his waist on instinct, and then he bent forwards, ravishing her neck with his lips and tongue. 

His hooves were knocking against the bottom of the dishwasher, a clanging metallic noise adding to the cacophony that was already happening. His orgasm was looming, threatening to make every thrust his last one. Tat too seemed on the razor's edge, her wanton moans more cut off as he kept humping her. 

Tat fisted her hands in his hair, pulling slightly as she arched into his kisses. She clenched down on him, hard, and quivered. "D-don't stop," she moaned. "I'm so close."

William had no intention of stopping. He kept the current pace, because she said it was what felt good, and he was a slave to her wishes. He licked a hot stripe up her neck, rough tongue irritating the sensitive skin just enough to leave a light red trail. Tatiana's hands gripped his hair tighter and he felt her muscles tremble under him as she arched further off the counter.

William groaned, hips losing their rhythm as his imminent end threatened to overcome him. Tat seemed to sense this, and she was squeezing down on him hard, as if trying to make him cum.

Williams' mind started to drift. He had to pull out some. If he didn't, he'd knot her, and he wasn't sure she could take it. 

He didn't want to hurt her, that was for sure. 

Oh, but the temptation was there. Riding the edge for this long was maddening, as if neither of their bodies wanted to give in first. But it was perfect for his mind to start thinking sloppy decisions were sound ones, like knotting her when getting in in the first place had been a struggle. 

He could do it. It might be uncomfortable for a second, but he could. She'd probably like it, love it even. He knew he would. He'd knot her and tie them together for the next two hours, and tell her how much he loved her while he did-

**Do it,** his alpha egged, coming out from the background noise that was in his head to be heard. 

William purred, the idea sounding lovely, and urging him towards his end that was for sure. But he didn't want to hurt her, he kept reminding himself. He wasn't that type of person, and he had never knotted anyone before. 

The idea had always been a fancy. It was heavy spank bank material, the idea of being tied with his mate intimate and appealing for so many of his various kinks. But it had never been practiced. Knotting random partners had never crossed his mind. He had always pulled out enough so that he could squeeze behind his knot and get the mild sensation of the act without committing. If his partner asked, he'd always said it was because he didn't want to hurt them, which was mildy true. But he supposed now it was because he hadn't felt right doing it.

But Tatiana was the exception. He  _ wanted  _ too, and so damn badly, but he wasn't sure if he  _ could _ .

But the alpha was crooning, trying to coax William to just go with it. Combine temptation with Tatiana moaning in his ear, saying how good he felt, how much she wanted to feel him cum in her. 

He groaned, rutting into her once, twice, three times before he was cumming. 

The white hot sensation of his orgasm ripped through him, making his whole frame shake. One of his hooves dented the dishwasher as he squirmed, the dishes rattling inside under them. Tat was clawing at his back, nails leaving red welts all along his spine as she dragged them down the length of his back. He moaned, squeezing his eyes shut, and felt his dick pulse inside her. 

Fuck. He had to pull out, before he hurt her. 

He started to move, to pull his hips back enough to let his knot form without hurting Tatiana, but her legs prevented him from doing so.

"Don't … you… fucking…  **dare** ," Tat growled, the final word accented as she increased her volume and clamped down on him as her own orgasm overtook her. Her legs squeezed him, rocking his hips forwards again so now he was balls deep in her rather than how he had been before. The extra heat, combined with her trembling molten walls, marked the end of his protests, and he felt himself start to swell inside her. 

He supposed he could have pulled out. It wasn't an instant reaction. But the fact that she had held him in, and then started moaning as he knotted her…. Well his resolve was weak.

He panted into her neck, rutting against her. It didn't take long for his knot to fully form and Tat was positively crowing her praises.

"Fuck,  **_yessss_ ** ," she growled, grinding her hips against William, who in turn felt his dick jerk with each roll of her hips. 

It was different, being tied. It felt phenomenal, but borderline too much. He was gritting his teeth from the mixture, the overstimulation addicting to a degree. William bit her shoulder in an effort to control himself, and Tatiana just held on for dear life. 

**Tell her,** his alpha chimed in his head, the extra voice fading in and out as he rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm. 

He moaned.  **Tell her** , the voice pressed again.

He shouldn't… he really shouldn't.

**Tell. Her.**

He opened his eyes, shakily propped himself up so that he was leaning over her instead of laying on her. His eyes took in her debauched form, her swollen lips, the red mark on her neck from his licking. How her eyes were molten with their intensity, swimming chocolate pools that caught the sunlight peeking in from the window to their left. 

**Do it.**

He wanted to…

**Do it** .

But…

**Do it!**

"I…" he started, staring into her gorgeous eyes. The words were threatening to leap out of his throat, eager for her to hear him.

  
  


Her eyes were warm, full of affection.

  
  
  


It was now or never. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I think I love you."


	13. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its perfect.

_ "I think I love you…" _

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he had realized his mistake. Caught up in the whirlwind of emotions and sensations, William had let himself get too carried away. He should've kept his mouth shut, just enjoyed the moment instead of listening to the damned voice in his head convince him that it was a good thing to tell her he loved her.

But there was no taking it back. The truth was out there, hanging in the air as they both panted, both trying to come back down to earth after being in orbit.

William waited for the inevitable discomfort she would exhibit from his outburst. He wouldn't blame her honestly. He knew it was weird and that's why he had been so resistant to say it, but he also couldn't help the small part of him that hoped she wouldn't scorn his confession.

Tatiana was still catching her breath, but she hadn't looked away. A few more seconds passed before she was smiling, a tired, post good sex smile, but not unkind or forced.

"I think… I think I love you, too," she replied, and William was positive he had to get his hearing checked.

She… she loved him too?

"You do?" He asked, voice so soft to even his own ears, and she nodded. 

"Yeah," she said, smiling a bit more. 

William didn't know if he should tell the whole neighborhood his good fortune, or if he should break down crying instead. His chest felt so full he wasn't sure what to do, so full of emotions he thought he might burst. Tatiana extended her arms towards him, offering to hold him, and he slipped into her embrace without a second thought.

He kissed her and she kissed him back, tender and slow. When they parted, he nuzzled along her jawline, her neck. The urge to scent her was stronger than it had ever been, and he dragged his chin over every part of her that he could reach without having to leave her arms.

"I don't want you to leave," he said after a moment, voice thick with emotion. Tat nuzzled him back. Her cheek was soft on his skin.

"I don't have too," she whispered, and William held her tighter.

"This isn't going too fast?" William pressed into her a bit more and she hummed appreciatively. He knew it sounded crazy, to want her to move in after two days, but he also didn't care. He didn't want to leave her side.

"No… I…. I don't know how to explain it," Tatiana murmured. "It feels…"

"...Right?" He finished for her, and she nodded against him. He swooned. 

She was perfect. Perfect for him.

"I've never felt like this before…" she admitted after a moment, kissing his shoulder. 

"Me either," he said. "But I'm so happy I do…"

William had always been a romantic at heart. Though he slept around he had always been, ultimately, looking for a relationship. Something long lasting and real. Sure, angels were a society that believed in casual sex, but matters of the heart were to be taken seriously. There were no loveless marriages. Taking someone as a mate was the ultimate sign of devotion, a contract forged in respect and affection that never wavered. Love was important, and it probably had to do with their long lifespans. To find a partner meant you didn't have to be alone, and when you chose to die, you had someone by your side.

William had had only a couple of flings that had shown promise but none of them had made him feel the way Tatiana did. From the moment he had met her he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, sucked into her orbit by her sassy personality and ethereal beauty. His heart felt full to bursting whenever she looked at him, and now he didn't have to hide it, because apparently, she felt the same way.

The idea of soulmates was not unusual in angels. Love at first sight was a thing, and people didn't question it. Humans were more fickle, more stingy with the idea of love, but William had no doubt that that's what had happened between them. Tatiana was his soulmate, his missing half, and he was hers. 

They held each other for a long while, content to enjoy each other's company as their love confessions settled any discrepancies on what they were. William wasn't sure how long his tie would last, but he was in no rush. This was a whole new experience for him so he had no baseline to go off of but he imagined it would be a while.

It felt good though. Every now and then one of them would twitch and the slight movement was enough to give them both a pleasant thrum. His alpha was cooing in his head, pleased as punch to finally have her under them and knotted. They'd only been fantasizing about doing it forever, after all.

William rocked his hips a bit, enjoying the way she would whine softly in his ear. He could feel that he was pressing into her as far as her body would allow, and she was taking it like she was made for him.

He had to stifle the groan that wanted to escape him at the thought. They fit so well together it was unbelievable. 

"I'm clipped, by the way," he said after a while, one of Tatiana's hands finding its way into his hair and gently stroking.

"I figured." She smiled, though he didn't see it. "I've got an implant too, so no worries," she added. 

Tat hadn't met an angel who didn't have a vasectomy or some other form of sterilization. Unlike humans, they didn't like having the risk of having unwanted children weighing down their society, and so every angel, from what she had learned from previous partners and just general education, was sterilized when they were still young, until they had decided they were ready to become parents. Usually it was via marriage that this decision was made, and both parties had to agree to it before the procedure was reversed. 

Tatiana honestly thought it was a brilliant idea. You could have all the fun you wanted, and not have to panic about if you made an oopsie. Angels seemed to be no worse for wear for it either. Their population was steady, and no one seemed to complain. She was sure there were some out there who opposed it, but it wasn't enough to sway the general population's opinion.

William purred as she pet his hair and she smiled again. She liked when he did that. It was a nice sound, sounded nice to her ears, and she could feel the vibrations from his chest as he laid on her.

She listened to him purr, enjoying the experience and the post sex afterglow, but eventually her legs started to tingle from her awkward position. 

"My legs are falling asleep," she mused aloud, laughing a bit. 

William stirred at her words, propped himself back up on his hands. "This probably isn't the best spot for this," he said, looking a bit sheepish. Tat shrugged. 

"Its okay." Honestly, kitchen sex was fine. She didn't mind one bit. She also didn't expect William to move them. His leg was probably too sore for that, and she didn't want to risk it. She'd be fine in a moment. The tingles would pass and she wouldn't feel them anymore. 

But while she was content to stay on the counter, he was putting his arms under her, and she blinked when she realized he was going to pick her up.

"Wait-" she started, but he had already pulled her towards him and she had no choice but to cling to him as he stepped away from the counter. 

Tat huffed as she was moved, arms around his neck because his back was too wide to get a grip on. She squeezed his waist with her thighs, and he grunted a bit as gravity forced him deeper into her. 

"You okay?" He asked, and Tat pouted. 

"You probably shouldn't be doing this," she said, squirming a bit as he pressed into her even deeper. This position was definitely making sure not an inch of his dick wasn't inside of her. She made a note of it for later, but at the same time she didn't want to risk hurting him. "You could hurt your leg."

"You're not heavy," William protested, adjusting his grip on her ass and not moving right away as if to prove his point. "I promise."

He wondered if she forgot that he was an angel sometimes. She barely weighed anything to him, angel strength exponentially more than a human's. He did find it cute that she worried, though. Hell, he found it more than cute.

He waited for her to stop stressing, letting her relax in his hold. When she did, putting her trust into him as not to drop her, he kissed her. "See?" He teased, and she puffed at him in response.

He made his way to the couch and carefully laid down so that she was on top. Once comfortable, she shifted above him, sitting up to stretch her back. William watched her, enjoying the show. She reminded him of a cat, all effortless grace.

Tatiana rocked her hips against him after. He trembled in response and she smirked. "I guess this is something we want to avoid if we want to have a quickie on a time crunch," she teased. "Good thing I've got time to spare for the next week or so."

"You feel incredible…" he murmured, and she blushed a little at his praise. She rocked her hips again in thanks. 

"Right back at you, big boy."

It was a long time until William's knot finally thought to give up. William hadn't really been keeping track, but he figured it had to have at least been forty five minutes to an hour. He wasn't sure if that was long or short, either.

Tat had dozed off on his chest in the middle of it, his alpha taking extreme pride in the fact that she felt comfortable enough with them to do so, and he supposed he was quite smitten with it too. She woke up when he slipped out of her and gave another lazy stretch before sitting up again. 

"That was amazing," she cooed, still a little sleepy from her nap. 

William smiled. " _ You _ were amazing," was his reply, and she was blushing so pretty at his words.

He loved when she did that. Every time she blushed he wanted to tease her, mention it and see if she turned even redder, but he was tired now. That whole session had taken a lot out of him, sapped all his energy. He needed a nap.

As if she could sense his exhaustion, Tatiana carefully crawled off of him, and grabbed the blanket that was hanging off the back of the couch. She unfolded it and draped it over him. The blanket was nice and William hummed happily in thanks before turned onto his side, patting the now vacant spot next to him. The sectional was big enough to cuddle. She could watch TV while he dozed if she wanted. The proposition seemed to be to her liking, because she laid back down next to him under the blanket, using his arm as a pillow.

He kissed her cheek as he wrapped his arm around her midsection, pulling her flush against his chest.

"I love you," he murmured, eyes already drooping as sleep started to take him under.

"I love you too," was her sweet reply.

  
  


XxX

  
  


The next two weeks were perfect. 

If someone had told Tatiana that she would be moving in with a man she only knew for a grand total of two days four months ago, she would have laughed, told them to get therapy. 

She wasn't crazy, after all.

But William came in and made her feel all sorts of things.

She had had a handful of relationships under her belt, none of them long lasting, and all of them disappointing (or tragic in the case of one particular person). But being with Will was like a breath of fresh air while being swaddled in her favorite blanket. It was being comfortable, not having to guess. It was like she knew what he was thinking, and he, her. 

When he had said he loved her the words had fitted right into the empty space in her heart she hadn't known was vacant, turned a switch in her brain that said stop, this is what she had been looking for. The person she was meant to be with was right in front of her.

And he was perfect.

She had initially fallen for his charm at the rodeo, the way he had held himself and his integrity. William had everyone's attention in the palm of his hand without even trying. But now she was in love with his gentle touches, his soft personality. Under all the showboating and pride she had first come into contact with was a private man who liked pillow talk and the sounds of rain on windows. 

He was open and truthful, even tempered even when his day wasn't going so well. He was always grateful, even for the most mundane of things, and he had no qualms with being vulnerable. 

Tatiana couldn't remember a time where she had met a man who was as confident as William, where if he was upset he would tell her, or let her see him when he wasn't at his best. The initial worry had worn off as soon as they had discovered that they were more than an item, and he didn't shirk from her touches, or hide his pain any more. He was still healing, and she was glad he would tell her when it hurt, or when he wasn't feeling well. 

Likewise, he always had an eye on her, seemed to always know if she was getting upset. It wasn't often, but he always knew when it did, and he always fixed it.

They didn't argue. There wasn't any tension. Two weeks wasn't very long, but Tatiana was positive she didn't ever want to be apart from him.

He made her feel loved beyond what she thought was possible, and she would do anything for him if he asked her. 

He was watching her with those handsome duo colored eyes of his as she rode him, slowly fucking herself up and down his girthy cock. The sun was just starting to rise outside, pink light streaming in through the parted curtains of their bedroom and tinting their skin rosy.

William groaned under her, muscles flexing every time she sunk back down on him. His hands were on her hips, every now and then squeezing but otherwise still. He didn't guide her, push or pull. She had full reign, and she was a-ok with that.

Tatiana sighed, rolling her hips against him, and let her head fall back so that her throat was exposed. She heard him purr in reaction, and she let out a breathy chuckle. 

"I guess you can wake me up early if I get to do this when you do," she murmured, voice soft because it was too early and she was still trying to wake up. He had roused her from her slumber only a few minutes ago, pressing kisses to her neck and rutting against her backside, rock hard and eager. It hadn't taken much to get her into the mood, and she had straddled his hips soon after and took him in one good press.

"I'll set an alarm," he replied, claws digging into her skin as she kept grinding. 

She smirked and looked back down at him, and he bit his lip. 

"You're so beautiful…" he whispered, reverent.

"You're just trying to butter me up," Tatiana panted, putting her hands over his and starting to bounce again, slow and easy. 

He purred louder, Tatiana able to feel the vibrations in his chest through her knees as they pressed to his sides for leverage. He moved one of his hands down, splayed it across her lower stomach. It felt nice, his warm palm against her skin, and Tatiana tipped her head back again, enjoying the intimate contact.

"I want to breed you so badly," he rasped out of nowhere, and Tat stuttered in her movements, searing arousal clawing at her insides. 

What?

"S-say that again," she whimpered, gripping his hands tighter as she switched paces, started moving a bit faster, harder. 

The steady rumble in his chest got even louder, the hand that was still on her hip moving so that it was on top of hers as he repeated himself. "I said, I want to breed you. So. Damn.  **Bad** ."

He punctuated the last three words with upward thrusts, Tatiana keening loudly in response. 

Fuck. She felt like she was on fire, and she had to bite her lip to keep a string of expletives from spewing out. His words had definitely started something, and she closed her eyes for a second to process it before she was looking down at him. 

His gaze was hungry now, predator sharp, unlike earlier. She could almost see the cogs turning, as if he was figuring out how to abuse his newfound power. She didn't know exactly what to expect, but the way her pussy was throbbed told her she was excited as fuck to see what it was.

"You like that?" He asked, voice husky. She moaned, nodded.

"Y-yes." It was hard to talk. Usually she never got tongue tied, but now she could barely form a one word reply. 

"I'd do it in a heartbeat," he continued, thrusting up into her a bit harder, bumping her cervix and making her gasp. "If you said yes. Fuck… I'd fuck you so good, darling, and then I'd pump you so full…"

Tat was so out of it, imagining the whole scenario in her head and trying to hold on as William took over that she didn't notice William moving under her until he had flipped their positions. She was on her back now, WIlliam looming over her, one hand on the headboard of the bed while the other held one of her thighs to his chest, kept her from scooting further up the bed as he drilled her. 

"You'd look so good," he panted, bedroom stare not wavering. "So pretty with my pup."

Tatiana squirmed, hands finding his shoulders and holding tight. The headboard was thudding against the wall, the upholstery keeping it from outright cracking loudly against the plaster but still loud. She felt like she might tear in two, but she also wanted more. And she wanted him to keep talking.

She arched her back, squeezing his waist with her one leg that he wasn't holding and using as support. "God, baby, keep  _ talking… _ "

Tat wanted to hear it all. Her breeding kink was in full force now. She wanted to hear all about how he'd fuck her into oblivion, fill her up so much that there wasn't  _ any _ chance that she wasn't pregnant. She wanted to hear how good he thought she would look, how she'd make such a good mom. William didn't disappoint, whispering all sorts of things into her ear, driving her wild.

She dug her nails into his shoulders and William nipped at her ear, gentle, but still hard enough to sting.

"You're such a good girl," he purred. He nipped her again for good measure. "My good  **_bitch_ ** ."

"Fuuuuck-"

William changed his pace, and Tat was seeing stars. She was so close, the mixture of the talking and the angle and the roughness was doing her in. She wouldn't be much longer. William appeared to be in the same boat, his panting harsher, the grip on her leg tighter.

The headboard was really banging against the wall now, and Tat thought she heard the neighbors next door bang back, but it was faint, and she was struggling to remain sane as William completely annihilated her. 

"Fuck, Darling-  **_Please_ ** ," he was the one begging now, trying to hold back. "Can I? Wanna breed you so good, sweetheart. Wanna see you with my pups-"

He cut himself off with a deep groan, Tat only able to offer needy whines in response to his begging. It was enough permission though, because he reared up, put his other hand on the headboard and thrusted several more times before he was sending her over the edge and bringing him along with her. 

Tat felt the wind had been knocked out of her, her orgasm so intense she wasn't sure she would ever come back down. William was snarling, hips stuttering as he rutted against her. She heard something splinter soon after, and William cursed, but she couldn't find enough motivation to care. His dick was pulsing inside her in time with his heartbeat, hot and heavy, and she felt the steady swell of his knot lock them together.

She moaned, squirmed a bit until she got used to the stretch, and then went limp against the mattress. She took a couple seconds to gather her thoughts before she even attempted to move, pushing her hair out of her face. Her bonnet was no where to be found, apparently having slipped off sometime during their fucking.

"That was-"

"I...I broke the headboard," William murmured, looking down at her. Tat blinked.

"You what?"

Still trembling from his own orgasm, William sat back some, showed her the chunk of headboard he had ripped off on accident. The upholstery hadn't even been enough to hold it together under the force he had apparently exerted. 

If Tat hadn't just cum, she probably would've right then. She knew William was strong, but seeing it in action was a whole 'nother thing, and her lizard brain was eating it up. 

"Well shit, babe," she laughed, but more because she was trying to keep her pussy from spasming too much. That headboard was solid maple under its decorative fabric. It didn't just break. 

William looked a little sheepish, cheeks tinting pink, but it didn't last long, however, as Tat plucked the heavy piece out of his hands, setting it aside. 

"Guess we have to go shopping," she purred, and William smiled. 

"You can pick," he agreed, and they rubbed noses before settling in to wait out the tie.

  
  


XxX

  
  


"So… you just moved in with him?" Tatiana's friend asked, looking at her as though she were crazy. 

Tatiana shrugged. "Yeah."

After her two week vacation Tat had agreed to move in. Well she supposed she had agreed to it originally when William had told her he didn't want her to leave after screwing her on his kitchen counter, but when he had properly asked her if she would like to move her stuff, she had said yes without hesitation. 

Tatiana owned a condo on the opposite side of town. She didn't want to sell it, because it was a nice condo, but she figured she could rent it. It would bring in a little extra money on the side, and make sure the place got used so it wasn't just sitting vacant. One of her friends was in the market for an apartment anyway, so once she moved her belongings out she brought her over to view it.

But now the viewing was turning into a Q and A as her friend, Mina, discovered the reasoning behind the condo's rapid availability.

"But do you even know him?" She pressed. "Come on, Tat. If you're telling me you only know him from two days at a rodeo, I'm taking you to the hospital cause somethings wrong with your head."

Tatiana chuckled. Mina was a good friend. She definitely wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and had been there for Tat through a lot of shit. Her reaction was justified.

"I know it sounds crazy," Tatiana admitted. "And it's hard to explain. But… he's different. I dunno. Kinda like were soulmates."

"Soulmates, Tat?" Mina rolled her eyes. "That's an angel thing. Not a  _ human _ thing."

Tatiana shrugged. "Well, nothing wrong with wanting something like that, right?"

She motioned for Mina to follow her to the kitchen, showing her the stainless steel appliances. It lulled the conversation for only a moment before Mina was back on her.

"I just don't want you to get stuck in a back situation again," she said. "You know… like what happened with Andrew?"

Tatiana flinched at the name, an involuntary reaction that she fucking hated. She'd been trying to get rid of it for years, but everytime his name was brought up she jumped like he was right next to her again. 

Mina realized her mistake immediately after, and covered her mouth with a hand, eyes wide. "Shit, I'm sorry Tat-"

"It's fine." 

She was not with him anymore. He didn't have any power over her. 

She took a second to collect her thoughts, stop her heart from racing as her brain came out of fight or flight mode. When she was composed, she continued. "And William is nothing like him. He's  _ different _ ."

Mina was quiet beside her, fiddling with the kitchen cabinets. She stayed like that for a long while, until she determined she had come up with an appropriate reply. 

"Just, be careful, yeah?" 

Tat smiled at her. It was gentle, but tired. The mention of Andrew had ruined her mood to a degree but she wasn't mad. She knew Mina only meant the best, and she appreciated it immensely.

"Do you want to meet him?" 

Mina perked up. "I- Really?"

Tatiana nodded, pulling out her phone. She sent a text to William, asking him he would be okay with having someone over, or if he would like to go out for dinner. Her phone chimed shortly after, and she turned it to Mina to show her. "He says it's fine. We don't really have a dining room table, though, so we can go out. But it's up to you."

Mina read the texts, surprised by how quickly William had replied, and the fact that Tat had offered the opportunity. Tatiana had never been stingy with things but she hadn't expected an invitation to crash a dinner and critique her boyfriend. 

"You sure?" Mina asked, just to be clear. Tatiana was the one to roll her eyes now, nudging her shoulder roughly. 

"Yes! Now choose. Eat in, or go out? I gotta go home and get ready anyway, so decide."

"Okay okay! Um… let's stay in? I don't wanna put you guys on the spot with a dinner bill."

Tatiana nodded. She sent off another few texts before putting her phone back in her purse. "Perfect. Seven good with you?"

"Yeah." Mina adjusted her own purse. "Text me your address later?" 

"Of course. Now," Tatiana jingled her house keys at her friend. "Are you going to rent this place, or nah?"

  
  


XxX

Dinner went without a hitch. 

William had impressed Mina with his cooking skills and charm, just like Tat knew he would. He was nothing but a gentleman and a sweetheart, and seeing him win over her over protective friend just solidified what she already knew. Mina had quickly warmed up to him as the night went on, and by the end of it they were chatting like old friends themselves.

Mina eventually went home, and afterwards William was asking her if he had done a good job. Tatiana found it cute that he was worried, but he had nothing to fret about. 

"She likes you," Tatiana told him as she helped him clean up. "She thinks you're a good fit."

William had purred happily at that, and then kissed her cheek in thanks.

They spent the night wrapped up in each other, all gentle touches and breathy whispers. 


	14. Markers of The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glory days and old faces.

William looked at his phone, and then at the building at the end of the walkway, making sure that this was the right rec center he had found online, and that he was sure he wanted to go in.

Tatiana was working again. She had used all her vacation days with him prior to moving in, and while they saw each other every morning and late afternoon through evening, the time between then had William feeling antsy.. 

He needed something to do, something to keep him busy while she was away. His house was clean and in order now that he was mostly out of his depressive slump, but that didn't help his predicament. Without cleaning, he wasn't left with much to do. 

Well, except his body.

Though Tat never made him feel like he was gross, William was starting to feel like he was ready to shed his excess pounds, and get his body back on track again. It was a big step for him, and he was happy he was taking it, but was also aware it would be a lot of work. Before his accident, he had used to go to the gym religiously on the off season, ran laps and kept to a strict diet. Now, his most strenuous activity was giving his girlfriend the dicking a lifetime.

Ultimately, he wanted to get back into bucking. He had been thinking about it for a while, and he missed the shows, the rodeos having a special place in his heart. But he knew his leg was a problem. He might not ever get back to being a Bronco with it, but he also knew he wouldn't find out unless he tried.

And the only way to do that was get back into the gym. 

William was no fool. He was an athlete, and he knew how dangerous injuries could be if you tried to throw yourself back into a routine without proper prep. He didn't know the first thing about pacing himself though, at least not when it came to injuries like what he had, so he had thought meeting with a personal trainer would be the best bet. 

He had found someone by the name of Thomas Green online. Thomas had been easy to reach out to, and seemed knowledgeable about William's chosen sport as well as having experience with people who had been in accidents. Thomas had insisted they meet, however, prior to signing him into any program because he didn't want to assume anything, and wanted to see what William was bringing to the table in person. 

And so that's how William ended up on the far end of town, where the apartments turned to single story houses, and there were more dirt trails than actual roads. 

This was mostly the angel side of the city, peppered with the occasional human family. Here, the main populous were angels like William, digitigrade in build, and so the neighborhood was much more accessible compared to where he actually lived. There was also much more emphasis on equestrian/outdoorsy things, the rec center being a prime example.

Though there was a main building, shiny and new with big floor to ceiling windows and modern architecture, one could see behind it on the walk up and look at the various outdoor arenas that took up the rest of the land space along with another large building way in the back of the lot.

If the average person didn't know better, they would assume it was a stable of some sort, given all the equestrian type things each arena housed. One had jumps, another, dressage markers. Right now, it was pretty empty, save for the two angels running laps around a track closest to the road, but William imagined that on a summer day it was probably packed.

He put his phone in his jacket pocket, started to walk up to the building. The heat of summer was long gone, the autumn dipping into more and more frigid temperatures as winter loomed. He didn't mind the cold, but his fur hadn't grown in enough yet for him to want to stand outside while frosty winds blew. He hurried up the walkway and stepped inside, the automatic doors parting for his entry.

The warmth inside the building was greatly appreciated once William was inside. The interior of the building was bright, and matched the exterior with its modern decor. William noted the smell of wax, as though the floors had just been polished, and the calming smooth jazz that was softly playing over the speakers somewhere in the high vaulted ceiling. 

"Hello!" A woman's voice chirped to his left, drawing him from his musing. William noted the service desk and the lady waving in his direction.

"Hello," he replied, offering her a polite smile as he got close enough to talk. "I have an appointment with Thomas Greene. But I've never been here before, so I'm not sure where to go."

He had to remind himself to not reach up and cover his scars while talking to her. It was a habit he had picked up before he was with Tat, and he found he still wasn't very comfortable with them when she wasn't around to keep him distracted. He was working on it, but the urge to try and hide was still very strong.

Luckily, the attendant wasn't the type of person to let her eyes linger. She was immediately typing in on her computer, pulling up Thomas's schedule and confirming that he did have an appointment. 

Once all was said and done and details were confirmed, she was more than happy to point him in the direction of his possible new trainer. He paid his guest fee and signed in, then made his way towards the back end of the building where the woman had told him to go.

He passed several rooms on the way there, most of them for the human clientele that came to enjoy the center. Spin classes, yoga, the usual. William didn't pay them much mind, only taking slight interest when the small rooms turned into big auditoriums, like the basketball court or the main workout spread that had enough machines to get an entire army into shape.

The door William ended up at was one of the small rooms. He gave a knock before entering, not sure what he was walking into. It turned out to be an office, large enough to have two or three people waiting, but there was a door on the opposite side of the room that had a small window. It looked like it led outside.

William only had a second to take in the space before a man was coming in from said door, bringing a gust of cold wind in with him. The man, who William assumed was Thomas, took a second to rub his hands together to warm them before noticing the giant angel filling his doorway and breaking into a grin.

"Oh hey," he chirped, crossing the space with an outstretched hand. "You must be William. I'm Thomas. Did you find the place okay?"

William nodded, shaking Thomas's hand and shutting the door behind him. "Yes, I did. It's nice to meet you."

Thomas smiled a bit brighter and then gestured for William to take a seat. "Sit. Sit. We have a lot to go over." He moved towards his desk, plopped down in the computer chair behind it and opened up a laptop that looked like it had seen better days. 

Once William was seated, the chairs actually made for someone of his size for once, Thomas was chatting away, grabbing a pen and a notepad as he did. "You said you used to be a Bronco before your accident. So, I looked you up. I don't get too many Broncos. And man, you have a good record. Third in the country a year ago, right?"

"I was, yes," Wiliam said, perking up a bit. He hadn't expected Thomas to go and look him up. He hadn't hid the fact that he had been a Pro, but usually people didn't make an effort to go search him up unless they were into the sport. "Would have been number one if I hadn't had six scratches that season."

"No doubt," Thomas agreed, typing on his laptop for a second. "So, do you want to keep bucking? I mean, ultimately, what's your goal? Just to get back into shape or to get back into the ring?"

"I would like to, yes," William said. He missed the spotlight. It was a bit vain, but it was true. "Been doing it since I got here… twenty years ago? Broke pro ten years back and I finally made a name for myself. And then…" he trailed off. His leg pinched a bit as if agreeing with him.

Thomas noticed his change in mood and was quiet for a moment as well. "How are you doing with that? Are you in any significant amount of pain?"

William shook his head, straightening up. "No, not really. Just every now and then I get deep muscle aches, right over the scar, but it's not constant. My back is the same." It used to be worse, but with time he was no longer weak in the leg that had been fractured. He didn't really go out of his way to test his endurance, but he wasn't in crippling agony after a short walk anymore.

The trainer nodded. He typed in his laptop again before standing up and coming over to William. "Can I look? Do a little once over? I do physical therapy too, so I just want to see what your range of motion is, if there's any muscle atrophy."

As soon as he was given the okay, Thomas set to work. He looked up close at Williams scar, felt along it and noticed the amount of scar tissue he could feel when he pressed along the length of it. He also didn't miss when William's muscles jumped after he pushed on a certain spot. It was where the scar was the most indented, probably where the bone had broke through the skin of his fracture. He didn't mess with it for long, moving back and grabbing William's hoof and pulling, extending the leg and feeling if there was any resistance. There wasn't as much forward flexion as he would like, but the knee was sound, and his hock wasn't stiff. 

He got William to stand up and repeated the movement, but this time from behind. He pulled William's leg as far back as possible, but the tension was too much. In this direction, the angel's entire structure went stale, his hock locking up after a certain point and the muscles in his thigh refusing to lengthen. 

Hm.

For comparison, Thomas did the same for his unhurt leg. It had much better flexion, and didn't seem sore. Usually leg injuries were the opposite. The injured leg wasn't stiff, but the other leg that was used to over compensate was. William was different, which meant he either didn't move around at all when his leg had been healing, or there was more significant damage that would take longer to work with.

"Did you exercise at all after you got hurt? Physio or walks?"

"No I… No."

Thomas nodded. That was a sore topic apparently. He didn't press. 

"How do you feel about doing a couple exercises with me outside? I want to see you move around, see if you limp at all if you can run or do a few small hurdles. Nothing extreme."

"Thats fine," William agreed. Thomas moved fast, but he was detailed. He seemed determined to make sure William wasn't hiding anything, and that was probably for the best. It was still a hard pill for William to swallow that he wasn't at his best anymore. He was probably ignoring a lot of things for the sake of his pride.

He followed Thomas outside, sans jacket now that he was actually going to be moving around. His thermal shirt and light hoodie were more than enough once he got over the initial cold, and did as Thomas asked of him.

First, it was just walking to and from the trainer. Thomas was watching him intently, but didn't leave any hints to what he was thinking. After, he was asked to trot, and he did so, though it felt weird for the first two steps as he figured out his gait. Thomas didn't say anything, but did move to view him from the side.

"Go around the ring. See if you can canter," Thomas instructed, hand on his chin as he watched William. William didn't fuss. He trotted along to the end of the arena before switching to a lope as he turned the corner. As soon as he did though, he felt the hitch in his step, the way one of his hooves dragged in the dirt behind him, tripping him up. He stumbled, righted himself right away, but he was sure Thomas had seen his mistake. 

_ I've never been this sloppy, _ William thought, scrunching his nose as a deep feeling of unrest settled in his gut, continuing to lope around the arena. His alpha whined in his head in agreement. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thomas watching him, still not saying anything. The silence was starting to stress him out. He knew he had come here for an evaluation, but now he was starting to regret it. What if Thomas told him he was too broken to compete? What then? Bucking was his livelihood, his passion. He loved doing it, loved to have the spotlight on him and the thrill of not knowing if he was going to beat his rider or if his rider would beat him. If he didn't have that, then what would he do? What would his purpose be? 

He wasn't sure he wanted to know, panic flaring in his chest as he realized that this appointment could break his dreams rather than mend them.

William did two laps around the ring before he had to stop, out of breath and his leg screaming for a release from the activity.

Fuck. This was bad. This was really bad.

William ran a hand over his face, sucked his teeth in frustration as he paced back and forth along the short edge of the rectangular arena, limping all the while. His leg continued to spasm, trembling if he stood on it for two long, and the flare up only added to William's growing ire.

His body felt alien to him, like it wasn't his. He was too out of breath, too painful. It wasn't right. It wasn't  _ him... _

Thomas cautiously approached from behind after a few seconds, the shuffling of dirt loud in the angel's ears. "...You notice it too?" He asked, and Wiliam didn't want to turn around to face him.

This was it. This was the part where Thomas told him he was fucked, where his career would die and he would have to find something else to do. But he didn't know what that would be, and it scared him. Scared him to face the unknown, and to admit that his accident really had ruined him.

"It's bad…" was all he could say, still not facing Thomas. He didn't want to. Didn't want someone to look at him with pity as his world crumbled.

He shouldn't have come here. He should've just let it be, hid from the truth like an ostrich with its head in the sand….

Thomas hummed behind him, and then William heard him step to his side, touch his leg where the muscle was jumping the most and quiet it with a well placed push of a thumb. The press hurt, and William shifted away from the pressure, but by the time he did it was already done and the trembling had stopped. 

Huh?

"You're not a lost cause," the trainer said when he had Williams' attention, the angel having finally turned to look at him after he had gotten the pain in his leg to cease. "But, I'll be honest. I don't think bucking is a good fit for you  _ right now _ ." He made sure to stress the right now point, as if sensing William might have an emotional reaction to the news.

"But I do think that with some physio and a good workout plan you could get back there. But it will depend on if you can do the work."

Thomas didn't think he was too far gone? 

William blinked at his trainer, not sure he was hearing right. "You… you think I can?" It was more for his own confirmation than anything else. William had been sure Thomas was going to tell him to pack up his ideas to get back in the ring and move on to something safer. 

But apparently that wasn't the case. 

Thomas thought he did have a chance, and even if it was a small one William wanted to take it.

"When can I start?" He asked, and Thomas gave him a smile for his enthusiasm.

"How about next week? Let's start you on hydrotherapy, build up your muscle tone."

  
  


XxX

William stroked Tatiana's back as they sat on the couch, his girlfriend sighing happily as he did so. They were watching TV, something mind numbing to pass the time while she decompressed from work. 

His visit to Thomas had been three weeks ago to date. He'd told Tatiana that he had gotten a new membership at a gym, and she had been happy for him that he was getting back to being active. She knew he wasn't content with staying how he was for long, and was very supportive of his venturing out to do things he used to enjoy again. She always had his back and it was one of the many reasons why he adored her.

He hadn't told her his plans to get back into being a Bronco, however. Mostly because he wasn't positive he would be back to where he had been prior to his accident, but also because he didn't want her to worry. She fussed about him a lot, always looking out for his well being. He knew her worry was justified, but he didn't want to put undue stress on her if he didn't have too. Thomas was an excellent trainer and had taken steps to make sure William hadn't gotten hurt or sore during his sessions. 

He would tell her everything eventually, but he wanted to get going first before he worked on smoothing her ruffled momma bear feathers.

"Are you going to go back to the rodeo this summer?" He asked, moving his hand up to the back of her neck, squeezing gently. 

Tat moaned at his touch, melting into it. "The rodeo?" She echoed. "Well… no. Probably not."

Well, that wasn't what he had been expecting.

"Why not?"

Tat shrugged, pressing into his touch a bit more. "I dunno. I guess I just need a break. This past summer was a whirlwind."

He supposed that was true. He moved his hand, started pushing his fingers up into her hair, cradling the back of her skull. She hummed, enjoying the scalp massage that came shortly after. 

"What about your horse? Are you leasing it?" 

"Horse?"

"Yeah. The one you were supposed to compete on that Sunday when Jessie fucked everything up. I didn't get to see you ride, but I remember you saying you were doing cow work."

Tatiana furrowed her brow, thinking. William waited for the information to click, and eventually it did, but she was shaking her head after. 

"Oh, hun, sorry. That wasn't a horse I was riding with." 

"It wasn't?"

Tat shook her head again. "No. It was Jessie. I was his rider while we were seeing each other. We did cutting." She rolled her eyes, making a face. "He scratched that day. Probably was off chasing tail the whole time besides the time you caught him."

It was William's turn to make a face. "Ah," he said. Jessie was not his favorite topic of choice. But, since the topic was already there, he pressed on. "Were you riding with Jessie when you got that buckle?"

" **_Him?_ ** " His girlfriend barked out a laugh. "Oh, please. Jessie was all show and no finesse. He could barely keep on a cow. I know donkeys that could cut better."

She turned to face William, put her hands on his knee. This conversation was much more interesting than the TV. "No, I got my belt buckle with another angel. Name was Brewster, but everyone called him General."

"Never heard of him," William said, smiling a bit at how invested she was. He kept rubbing her scalp. "Were you guys friends?"

"We were," Tatiana was smiling now. It had been a while since she had talked about General, even longer since she had seen him. She picked up her phone, scrolled through her gallery. Eventually, she found what she was looking for, and gave the device to William.

It was a photo of a massive angel, bigger than William. He was a centaur build, black fur with white markings smattering his pelt. He was tipping his hat to the camera, a kind eye peeking out from under the rim. Around his waist a belt buckle glinted in the sunlight. On his back was Tat, wearing the same belt buckle, and holding up one of those massive plastic cheques that were given as prizes at the big shows. William zoomed in, noted the banner hanging in the background.

"You guys made it to Congress?" He asked, surprised. 

The Congress was much like the version for regular equestrians, but it centered itself around alternative western sports instead of horses. I.E, angels. To get to Congress was a huge deal, and meant you had worked your ass off to be invited. The competition was cutthroat, and the people vicious, from what William had heard during his time as a rodeo frequent flyer. Congress was for the people who wanted fame and fortune, and the elitist atmosphere kept its circle of success stories small but hungry. 

William would have never guessed her belt buckle referred to a win at Congress. His darling was definitely not a bragger, that was for sure.

She nodded at his question. "Yeah. And we won it too. General and I had been working all year to get those points. Man, he was a work horse. He never stopped going, was the best mentor. When they said we had won I was crying my eyes out, and he just waited for me to get it together so I wouldn't look gross for my pictures."

William handed her back her phone, watched her as she looked at the photo with a warm gaze. He didn't see her do this often. She was always gentle and kind, but this was different. This was something- no, someone special to her.

"Where is he now?" William asked. Maybe he could find this General, set up a meeting for her and him. She looked like she missed him terribly.

But as soon as he asked, he saw the tender gaze fade away, and he instantly sat up a bit, not sure what had happened but aware that the topic was turning. 

"Darling?" 

"He… left." Tatiana said after a moment, shaking herself out of her thoughts. She turned her phone off, set it in her lap. 

"He got hurt. Fractured his spine I think. He wasn't paralyzed, but he couldn't ride anymore. He went back to Heaven." Tatiana shrugged. "That picture was the last time we worked together…"

"...I'm sorry, Darling," William murmured, pulling her into his lap. He held her, nuzzled her neck. She sighed. 

"Its okay. He's better, and thats all I care about. But I do miss him… He's the one who turned me onto alternative sports. Really opened up my world."

She kissed his cheek, and William felt his chest clench at her words. She really was too sweet sometimes. 

How ironic was it, too, that her last riding companion that she had a bond with had gotten into an accident? 

He wasn't sure what to say, so he opted to not say anything. He just held her, let her rest her head on his shoulder as he pressed gentle kisses to her neck. She turned pliant in his arms, relaxing completely, and they stayed like that for a long time until she decided she wanted to go lay down in bed. 

William let her go, sensing she was tired. He would be in shortly, but he would give her her space for now. Once he heard the bedroom door click shut, William allowed his mind to wander.

He had wanted to go back to bucking, but this conversation with Tatiana was making him think otherwise. 

Bucking was his sport, a solo act that didn't have room for a constant partner. He had asked if Tatiana was going back to the rodeo in the hopes that they would be traveling together to compete in their own events. But hearing her say she didn't want to, and then hearing her story about General… well, suddenly the solo act didn't sound so appealing.

William did not envy General. He was apparently just a friend and mentor, and William was not the type of man to get jealous over nothing. But the way she spoke about their partnership, about the thrill of accomplishing something together that had taken hundreds of hours of blood sweat and tears…

He wanted that. 

Being a Bronco was fun. He loved it. But he wasn't a single bachelor anymore. He had found the love of his life and she had saved him when he was at his lowest, when he hadn't had the motivation to even open his curtains and let in the light. Though he loved his sport, he loved Tatiana more, and William wanted to have that same bond she had with General, to help her get her dreams, and maybe make some new ones of his own.

The more he thought about it, the more conviction he felt. This was the right decision, he was sure. His alpha was agreeing with him, the extra voice flittering around his head and speaking positive assertions. William didn't know exactly what he was getting into, but he shot a text to Thomas to say he would have a few questions at their next session. 

Hopefully the man would have an inkling as to how to help William start, and give him the best chance at impressing his girlfriend.


	15. Cutting It Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ha. I made a pun.

"You want to try Cutting?" Thomas asked, breath misting in the cool morning air as he and William stood outside. 

William was back for his midweek session. He had three sessions a week, one of them low impact and the other two a bit more strenuous. He was taking really well to the program, Thomas starting him off slow but still making it worthwhile for the angel to return. 

But the current program he was on was to get him back to bucking. Cutting was a completely different sport, and while William didn't believe Thomas was not flexible in his training he knew the request seemed pretty out there given his track record.

"My girlfriend used to do it," William replied. "We were talking the other night and she mentioned how she won a massive show at one point. She really enjoyed it, but her partner got hurt and she had to quit."

"So you want to do it with her?"

"Yes. I… I don't know much about it though. I know its nothing like bucking… but I want to try it at least."

Thomas nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Alright," he started. "When is she going to come by? You're not ready to be riding again but-"

"I haven't told her. Yet."

Thomas stopped talking. He looked at William, raising a brow. Had the angel really just said that his  _ partner _ didn't know he was wanting to do a partner activity? 

"...If you haven't told her, how are we supposed to train?" He tilted his head at his client, who shuffled in place at being put on the spot.

"She worries about me," William defended. "And, don't get me wrong, I love her for it. She's my world. But… I wanted to make it a surprise."

William dug around in his hoodie pocket for his phone and stooped down for Thomas to see as he pulled up the photo Tatiana had showed him the other night. He had sent it to himself after she had gone to bed, knowing she wouldn't question it. They had done it countless times before, so one more was no different. "She looks so happy here," he said as he showed his trainer. "This was her and her old Angel. They made it to congress and everything."

"I know I'm not at his level. I don't even  _ know _ the levels. But she's so happy. I just want to be a part of that." 

"But what about your bucking?" Thomas asked and William shrugged.

"That's a single man's sport. I love it, but I love her more. I want to do things with  _ her." _

Yes, he knew he was throwing away years of hard work. Countless hours of endless grinding, clawing his way to the top to have a brand. His sponsors would pull out as soon as he told them he wasn't returning and his name would end up as just another in the long list of has-beens. 

But he was okay with that.

Thomas was still looking at the photo, zooming in on the same details William had when Tatiana had first shown it to him. The trainer was quiet as he inspected, but eventually, let out a long whistle of appreciation. 

"Looks like she's a top rider, William," the man started, looking up at his client. "I teach most of the western sports, but you're going to need constant training for this. Have you ever worked with cattle before?"

Well, at least he wasn't telling him it was impossible. William put his phone away, sticking his hands in his hoodie to warm them back up. "Besides walking past them in the holding pens? No."

"Ah. Well, they're pretty hard to get onto. You gotta predict where they're going to go, and then you have to stay on them. It's a pretty hard sport, with lots of hard stops. Could be a lot of strain on your leg."

William shrugged again. "I think with practice I could get the hang of it," he said. "And my leg is better. The needling and hydrotherapy are really making an improvement." He tilted his head at Thomas. "But since you haven't outright told me no… does that mean you'll give it a try?" 

He liked Thomas. The trainer was honest and no-nonsense, but not unkind. William had had trainers who were outright assholes, and Thomas could be a bit brash sometimes, but in a way William knew was because he was being stupid and warranted the reaction and not because the trainer was actually mad at him. 

Thomas sighed, crossed his arms, and tapped his foot in the dirt. "Okay. Yes. I will teach you," he said, William breaking into a grin. " **But** , we take it slow. I'm not having you break your leg again doing something dumb. And you better tell your girlfriend soon. I don't want her coming after me."

William chuckled. "She won't. My ass will be grass, not yours."

  
  


XxX

  
  


Thomas kept to his word. 

He was a man of principle, and believed that if someone was willing to learn, he could teach them anything.

William was his only client that came more than once a week. He had other clients, but they were mostly there for physio appointments, and not for training. It was fine by him. William presented an interesting challenge he hadn't had in a while. 

He was incredibly motivated but easily frustrated by his new limitations. Thomas had a feeling William hadn't had to deal with a blockade that wasn't mental before, and so he understood his frustration. Wanting to do something but being held back by your body was infuriating. Especially since the angel was a pro athlete, and was used to his body listening and not fighting him. 

But while William was impatient, he took the advice to heart. Thomas made sure to keep reminding him of the progress he was making and not focusing on what couldn't be accomplished in a session. The right balance of positive reinforcement was crucial, and he always made sure he kept on top of it.

It took William a while to get to a point where Thomas felt comfortable with telling him he was good to start riding again. He was steady, and his muscle had come back from a mixture of weight training and hydrotherapy on a treadmill, which William despised. Thomas knew he hated it, but it worked, so he ignored the angel's looks of discontent every time he made him get in the tank.

William had looked ecstatic to hear he was fit enough to start under the vest again. He had been toiling away for so long it probably seemed like he would never get there. But Thomas knew that while this was a great step in the right direction it was also the one he was most worried about.

Angels weren't like horses. They didn't stop because they hurt. If they were determined, they would power through the pain, just like humans did. Thomas had seen plenty of good angels ruin months of work trying to do too much after getting to the bare minimum of ride worthy again. He didn't want that to happen to William, so he made sure to keep his tone one of caution.

"Listen," he said, checking William's vest to make sure it was snug. It was still a little too small for the angel, despite the weight he had shed during the last couple of months of working with him. "If you start to hurt, tell me. I mean it. Any pinch, twitch, or twinge, you better say something."

William chuckled. "I'm fine, really," he insisted. Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and you're gonna be fresh as hell when I get up there. You're fine now, but you haven't had weight on your shoulders in, what, almost a year now?"

"Ten months," William corrected. "But I'm fine, Thomas. Really. We've been working up to this. It's not like I broke my leg yesterday."

Thomas grumbled, tightening Wiliam's velcro just for the satisfaction of watching the angel squirm. Served him right with all his attitude. 

He motioned for William to follow him to the mounting block, and once William kneeled down next to the two-step stool, he climbed aboard and cautiously settled his weight on the larger man's shoulders.

"Alright.  **Slowly."** He stressed the slow part, not wanting William to think he was completely safe from his nagging.

The angel snorted, like he was laughing, but did as asked. Thomas heard his knee creak in protest, but William's rising motion back onto his hooves was smooth despite that. 

Once standing, Thomas took a moment to appreciate how the hell some of William's riders managed to stay on. He was tall as shit and that by itself was unnerving enough, but add jumping and kicking to the mix? 

Nah. He was good. He didn't ever want to experience that.

William shifted under him, rolling his shoulders. "You good?" The trainer asked. He wasn't surprised when his client just nodded. 

Well, may as well see how this went. 

"Okay. Let's do a couple of laps. Walk, then trot. Let's see how you do."

"Sounds good," William replied. He reached up to hold Thomas's knees, keep him steady. The vest he had on wasn't deep-seated like his cutting one would be. It was one of his old Bucking vests and wasn't very comfortable. He didn't want Thomas to fall off.

He turned and started towards the wall. They were using the indoor arena today given the fact that it was frigid outside, winter now fully into play. It was heated, and William greatly preferred it to the outdoor arenas for that and the fact that the footing was constant. The special sand and dirt and synthetic mixture felt good on his joints. 

He walked along the wall, his and Thomas's reflections sliding along the mirrors with them. All the way around the ring he plodded along, getting used to the feeling of someone sitting on him again.

Thomas was right. It had been a while. The extra weight of his trainer was both strange, but comforting, as though his body was trying to remember. It took him a while for the sensation to pass and muscle memory to take over, William relaxing as Thomas proved to be a good seat and a quiet rider. He didn't shift around unnecessarily, kept his legs quiet too. William remembered how some of his riders would always fidget their legs, constantly squeezing or swinging their knees in and out. Thomas didn't do that, which helped him concentrate.

William finished his warm-up lap around the arena and as soon as he hit the corner, it was like something snapped him in the ass. He jerkily jumped a bit, hopping slightly as he switched to a trot. Thomas exclaimed at the motion, legs squeezing Williams's neck in both an effort to stay on and to tell William to stop. 

"Whoa!" Thomas said, William stopping after a moment. He looked back at his trainer. 

"Sorry," he said, a jittery feeling running down his spine. He shifted, hooves shifting the dirt. "I think my lead leg was off."

"I told you you were fresh as hell," Thomas huffed, adjusting his position. "Almost threw me off there. Did you get too excited?" 

"No… I don't think so," William replied. His trainer laughed.

"Well, quit dancing then. You're going all over the place, William." The man pointed to the mirrors, and William looked over. Sure as shit, he could see how restless he was being, unable to stand still. 

Seeing himself dampened the extra movement somewhat, but didn't stop it. William made a noise of curiosity. 

Huh. Maybe he was excited. 

**Back to how we used to be,** his alpha said in his head.  **Feels good.**

It did feel good, William agreed with himself, moving forwards again. Thomas didn't stop him, so he took that as his cue that he could try again. This time, he was prepared, and he switched his gaits as smoothly as possible given he was out of practice. Thomas said a few words of encouragement at the much better transition, and just let William do his thing.

At the end of the session, Thomas didn't look too ruffled, and William counted that as a bonus. 

"You did good," Thomas praised, rubbing his tail bone. "We gotta get you a better vest though. That one is shit for actual riding."

"Yeah. I'm ordering one today. Should be here by the end of the week…." William paused, suddenly remembering something. He took out his phone and searched through his calendar, Thomas watching him.

"Something wrong?"

"Ah… Yeah. Actually. I need to cancel my sessions for the next two weeks."

Thomas blinked. "What for?"

William put his phone away. "My rut. I totally forgot I still had it coming. It always hits at the tail end of winter." He sighed, ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I should have told you when I originally signed up."

The fact that he had forgotten was a major mistake on his part. William kept a very close eye on his rut. He was thankful he only went through his once a year, but it was still an activity that took a lot of preparation for and he usually always knew when he would need to start taking time off. He must've been so into training it slipped his mind. 

But Thomas didn't look upset at the sudden announcement. "It's fine," he said, and William felt some of the tension in his shoulders lessen. "It's a medical emergency. I understand. We'll just push back your training. I don't think you'll be any worse for wear, considering all the cardio you're probably planning on doing."

The man laughed, amused at his own joke. William would admit it was pretty funny. 

"Hopefully," he joked in return, and he and Thomas started to walk back towards the rec center to call it a day.

  
  


XxX

William got home a bit later than usual after his lesson, having made a couple of frantic stops on the way. 

Rut was not something he took lightly. He was usually mentally incapacitated for most of it, so he tended to over-prepare just so he didn't dehydrate because he refused to drink anything. 

All angels went through rut. Some had it twice a year, and others once. It was a natural sort of mating cycle their race hadn't seemed to shake for whatever reason, even though angels could reproduce whenever they wanted. William's rut was yearly, and while it wasn't the worst thing in the world, he wasn't keen on being turned into a sex-crazed beast who couldn't form a simple sentence or popped a knot just cause the wind blew. 

The haze of rut was hard to explain. Before he went "under", or essentially lost all recollection of the dozen or so days his rut took place, it was just a feeling of being antsy. His skin felt too tight and ultra-sensitive. His sense of smell sharpened, and so did his hearing. Sometimes it was so bad he had to put earplugs in to dim the overwhelming amount of noise he could hear. But the most annoying part was how talkative the voice in his head got, always making some sort of racket, or muttering that just droned on and on. 

William never really did remember what his alpha was talking about, but he also didn't want to know. It was probably nothing important. 

And while this rut was no doubt going to be like the countless others he had experienced during his long life, he remembered he had a partner now. And that kind of threw a wrench in his plans.

He had always spent his ruts alone. It wasn't that he didn't trust himself or that he was violent during his time, but he didn't want to be put in a situation where he or someone else felt as though they were being taken advantage of. He had had mostly human partners, and they didn't really understand how Ruts worked, nor did they have the stamina to keep up. A two-week sex marathon sounded fun in theory, but if you weren't biologically fit for it, it could be downright dangerous.

Tatiana was human, and while they were in a committed relationship, it didn't change the fact that they were two different species.

He would have to talk to her, work out a plan. He wouldn't be upset if she stayed somewhere else for two weeks. It was honestly probably for the best. 

When he got in the door, Tatiana was on the couch waiting for him. She quirked a brow at the mass amount of bags he was toting with him and he smiled apologetically. 

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, going over and giving her a kiss as penance for the crime of his delayed appearance. 

"It's okay," she said, peeking at the bags. "What's all this?"

He let her pick through them. He had nothing to hide, and it would probably speak for itself once she got to some of the stuff deeper in the bags. Sure enough, when she got to the bottles of electrolytes and bottles of lube, she had already figured it out.

"I didn't even ask about your Rut," she said, looking back up at him. "When is it?"

"My calendar says next week, give or take a few days. But I'm pretty regular," William replied. "And it slipped my mind. I should have told you."

He sat down beside her, Tatiana still picking through the bags. As she looked, he continued. "I know it's, short notice, but you probably don't want to be around me when I'm out of my mind-"

**NO.**

The sudden refusal from his alpha shocked him, stopped him mid-sentence. Tatiana was looking at him in confusion, but he couldn't focus on her. The alpha was demanding his attention.

**She stays,** it said. Nay- _demanded._ **Stay with us. No leave.**

Stay? The alpha wanted her to stay?

_ You know we can't _ , William argued to himself, but the extra voice in his head grew disgruntled, and he didn't like the wave of anger that rolled over him in reply.

**STAY,** the voice boomed.

_ We could hurt her _ , William continued to protest.

The alpha responded with a whine.  **No hurt. Why always think hurt?**

Wait. Was he really doing this?

_ What are you talking about? _

**Always think we hurt. Never trust us. Why?**

_ I… _

**No trust us. Cruel.**

William didn't reply, a feeling of sadness making his chest hurt. He rubbed at it, trying to lessen the pain. The alpha huffed.

**No want to be alone,** it added, sounding soft and far off now, a great contrast to earlier.  **Ask to stay. Won't hurt. Won't touch if no want.**

William was confused. His alpha was usually not so talkative. Granted, he didn't try to talk to it, but usually, its sentences were not so long, and it did not argue with him as it just had. 

He couldn't deny that he wanted Tatiana to stay with them. Of course, he didn't want to be alone, not when he had her, but it was a safety concern. 

But every time he thought about that, he felt a deep revulsion, as though his alpha was appalled at the very idea that they would hurt Tatiana. William wanted to believe it was true, but he also couldn't recall his ruts. He had no idea what he was like when he was under. He could be a hormone-fueled beast for all he knew, one that didn't see reason. He only knew he wasn't a flight risk because he always woke up in his home, the heady smell of his own musk a tactile tell to tell the story of him not leaving his home for anything.

Tatiana was looking at him with concern now and touched his knee to get his attention. It startled William enough to bring him back to the present.

"You okay?" She asked, and he nodded slowly. "What happened?"

"I… I was talking to my… to myself." 

"Your alpha?" 

William nodded again, rubbed his head.

"...What did he say?"

"He wants… he wants you to stay?" He looked at her. "For my rut."

Tatiana nodded. She rubbed his knee. "Do you want me to?" She asked.

Tatiana knew about ruts, but she was no expert. Most of the knowledge humans knew was highly sexualized, because the idea of a rut sounded great. Constant sex, time off work, getting to live out your wildest fantasies. But Tatiana was positive there was more to it than that. She had tried to read up on it, but just as humans were crude, angels were illusive. Knowledge straight from angels was hard to come by on the topic, as though they didn't want humans to know about the intimate activity that rut was. 

William looked torn. No doubt he wanted her to stay, as he was a creature who preferred company, but Tatiana imagined it was a lot to consider. From his bags, it looked like he planned to be going hard, and surviving off electrolyte water and snack packs between frantic masturbation. She could see how he didn't want her around. That, and while she wasn't sure it was true, his personality could change while in this hormone-fueled state. 

Still, she wasn't scared of him, or the idea. William was quite gentle. She didn't think he would hurt her on purpose, even if he wasn't all there like he was usually. 

But she wasn't stupid. They were two different species. Compatible, but not completely.

"I'm not scared of you," she said, noting how William looked indecisive. "But I understand it's risky. I can leave if you want me to."

Her words hurt him, more than they should. He had been okay with the idea, but the alpha wasn't. It was the one who was roiling in its sadness, spreading it to him and making him feel so… disappointed. 

"I… I really don't want you to," he admitted, rubbing his chest again. "But I don't remember my ruts. I blackout and wake up two weeks later. I don't want to hurt you."

Tatiana smiled at him, touched his cheek. "You're very gentle babe," she reminded him. "I don't think you would hurt me. Not on purpose."

They sat there for a few minutes, contemplating. William was mostly trying to quiet the alpha, who was refusing to be pushed back to its dark corner in his head. His head was starting to hurt as a result, but no matter how much he protested, the extra voice refused to be silenced. 

It had been quiet enough. It was adamant Wiliam know how it felt, and imaginary teeth snapped at him whoever he suggested it go and lay down somewhere where it couldn't interfere with his thinking.

"Why don't we try it," Tatiana's sweet voice broke through the carnage in his brain, silenced the alpha. 

William blinked. 

She… she wanted to try?

"Are you sure?" He asked. "Please, darling, you don't have to. I'll be fine-"

"I want to," she interjected. "I think we're going to be together for a long time, yeah?"

"As long as you'll have me," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as she placed both hands on his cheeks, holding his tired head. 

She chuckled, kissed his forehead. "I'll have you forever, don't worry. But, forever is a long time to avoid this. I know it's not ideal or pretty… but I don't see why we can't try."

She pressed their foreheads together, an intimate gesture for angels, and he purred at the contact. He had done it to her plenty of times, but when she initiated it always felt ten times better.

"I want to get to know all of you," she said.

William nodded, eyes still closed. They stayed like that for a minute before he felt comfortable pulling away. Tatiana was smiling at him once he was looking at her again, and his heart stuttered. 

She really was one in a million.

"As long as you're sure," he said. You can leave at any time. I promise."

"I know. But I think I'll be okay." Tatiana took one of his hands, kissed the back of it in that tender way she did. "Now… what else do you need?"


	16. Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude.

A few days later and William was starting to feel it.

His ruts always started off slow, as if to give him a warning. He felt sluggish, tired. His thoughts were fuzzy and they got worse as time progressed before cranking up to eleven and leaving him incredibly wired just before he blacked out.

This time, he felt more tired than usual, slower. Tatiana commented on it, said it had taken him a long time to get up. He believed her.

Breakfast was a bit alarming. He wasn't hungry. Usually, William was ravenous in the morning. He needed a lot of food to sustain himself in general, but he always found he was more inclined to eat heavily when his rut was approaching. To not be hungry was a bit off putting. It was a symptom of being farther along, and not just starting.

Was it possible he had miscalculated? 

No… no. His rut was never off. It always hit at the same time without fail. Just as winter ended was when his hormones would flux and he would go into rut. That was his cycle, as it had been for as long as he could remember.

So why, then, was he acting so… abnormally? 

He forced himself to consume something, because he knew he needed to, but it wasn't much. As he put his mostly full plate on the coffee table to sit back on the couch, Tatiana looked at him with concern.

"You're not eating?" 

"I'm not hungry," he said, and he was thankful she noticed his panic even though he had tried to conceal it.

"Is it happening faster?" He shrugged, unsure. 

"I don't know," he admitted. She smelled so good though. That much he did know. 

He inhaled deeply, lungs expanding without his full consent in a desperate attempt to commit her scent to memory. She smelled like vanilla, and caramel, and home…

"Will?"

He paused. Wait. What was he saying? What was he  **_doing?_ ** He looked at his girlfriend, noted how he was leaning in on her personal space when he was pretty sure he had been sitting with his back against the couch just a moment ago. 

When had he gotten so close to her? And why did she smell so damn  _ intoxicating _ ?

"You kinda spaced out," she said, curious. "You were sniffing an awful lot."

William shook his head, forcing himself to sit back again. "Sorry. I got distracted. You smell… really good." 

Tatiana chuckled. "As opposed to how I usually smell?"

"You always smell good," he said, meaning it. He inhaled again on impulse, cursing himself when he realized it, and felt himself start to drift. "But… you smell fantastic now."

Tatiana giggled, voice in his ear. She was letting him snuffle into her neck, once again in her space. Hadn't he just been sitting up? Furthermore, why did he care so much? He purred as she indulged him, rubbing his cheek along where her scent was strongest and marking it with his own.

He wanted to cover himself in her aroma. Wanted to roll in it until he smelled completely of her and vice versa. The sudden urge to pin her down and lavish her with his tongue sprang into his mind. A shudder rippled through him, from his head to his hooves as he played the scenario out in his head. Tatiana didn't protest, innocent to his thoughts, and let him nuzzle her until he snapped back to reality.

Fuck. This wasn't like him. His breath was labored, sounding too loud to his own ears. He may have misjudged how quickly his rut was approaching. Drastically. 

How off was his calendar?

"I may have been wrong," he said, forcing himself to put space between them. He needed air, fresh air. "I...I think I may be further along than I thought."

"That's okay," she reassured him. She was always so patient. "It happens."

A pause. "How do you feel?"

How  _ did _ he feel?

"Tired," William replied, the first thought that came to mind. His eyes burned, like he hadn't slept enough his arms felt heavy. "But… fuzzy." He ran a hand over his face. This really was hitting him hard. "I might slip under soon… tomorrow, maybe."

He hoped he was wrong, that he was feeling this way because of his new schedule. Rut was intensive enough as it was he did not need the stress of new symptoms fucking it up.

Tatiana shifted beside him, put her plate next to his and cuddled into his side where she fit like a glove. His arm immediately dropped, curled around her and he slotted his hand over her midsection. "Okay. No worries," she cooed. She wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her cheek on his chest. "Don't fight it. Try to focus on eating a bit more today. I don't think you'll get much in you once you're under."

She was right. She was always right. He should do as she said, but the thought of food repulsed him for some reason, made his stomach churn violently.

William shook his head. "No. I won't eat at all once its in full swing. Too much effort." He waved his hand around, as if to shoo away the idea of having to consume calories. He nuzzled the top of her head, filling his nose with her scent once again even though he had just told himself he needed space. "Just water. Maybe." 

Tatiana hummed, but didn't press further. 

XxX

Tatiana called into work a little while later, clearing her schedule for the next two weeks again. William, in his hazy state, noted that he should have asked her how she was able to do so, but the thought was gone as quickly as it had come. 

Thinking was hard right now. Maybe later, when he wasn't so woozy, he'd ask. 

He milled around the house for the rest of the day, trying to get himself to eat or drink when his mind wasn't super fuzzy. His alpha was murmuring in his head again too, but just like all the other times it was incoherent, and he couldn't figure out what the extra personality was saying. 

In all, William would say he was pretty out of it. This was turning out to be the worst rut he'd ever had, if his lack of cognitive abilities was any marker. Tatiana was patient with him, stayed out of his way when he wandered but didn't shrug him off when he searched her out for cuddles. When he was tired of being awake, the evening still incredibly early, he dragged her to bed with him, and she didn't protest.


	17. Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under has a lot of meanings.

It was hot. 

Unbearably hot.

Tatiana squirmed, sleep losing its grip on her consciousness as her brain registered that she was too warm. Way too warm.

She felt like she couldn't breathe, the last remnants of her dream turning frightening as she gasped for breath, only to wake up in complete darkness. 

Tat took a second to register where she was, relaxing when her eyes had adjusted and she was able to make out the shapes of the various items in her and William's bedroom. She wiped at her forehead, and then panted as she felt like she was going to melt. 

William didn't stir as she flung the covers off her, and the woman was disgusted when she felt the breeze from the motion cool the dripping sweat that was all over her body. 

Why the hell was she sweating so much? And furthermore, why the fuck was it so hot?

She sat up, the sheets peeling off of her and further reinforcing the feeling of displeasure she was already experiencing. Her head swam once she was sitting upright and when she tried to swallow was when she realized she was unbearably thirsty. 

Water. She needed water.  _ Something _ .

Tatiana stood and carefully made her way out of the bedroom and down the hall. The house was boiling, the air thick with heat. She was sweating even more now that she was moving, and when she reached the digital thermostat on the wall she cursed. 

"Ninety-five degrees?" Fuck. She didn't even know thermostats could go that high!

As she stared at the digital thermometer in disbelief a thought crossed her mind from earlier in the day. William had mentioned he was cold just before they had gone to bed. He must have adjusted the temperature, but overestimated how cold he was. 

She turned the heat off, and stumbled to the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and let the tap water run for as long as she could stand to wait before chugging two full glasses of water, liquid dripping down her chin in her haste to try and rehydrate. She probably would have downed a third glass if her stomach didn't gurgle in warning that she was pushing it, and her own saliva get stuck in her throat, too viscous to swallow.

Tatiana groaned, setting her cup down and wandering towards the window. She cracked it open, the brief breeze that greeted her a relief, but the hot air from the furnace pushed out the cold and left her feeling just as hot as before.

Sit. She needed to sit. 

Tatiana reluctantly left the window and sprawled out on the sofa with a huff, trying not to let any two body parts touch in an effort to cool off. She was thankful she didn't wear sleep clothes, because they would no doubt be soaked and would only hinder her efforts just now. After the first two weeks of living with William she had abandoned her pajamas, never to be seen again. She preferred to sleep naked, and in cases like this it paid off. 

But she was still hot. There was no breeze outside, and the temperature would take a while to decrease regardless of how many windows she opened. The heat would want to escape before any cold air could come in.

She needed a cool shower, she thought. That would help, and hopefully when she came back out the house wouldn't be a death trap anymore. 

She nodded, agreeing with her plan, and stood up. Her vision swam again and it only increased the urgency she felt. She had to cool down. And fast. 

She made it to the bathroom and fussed with the shower until she was sure it was cold enough to keep her from getting heatstroke, but not so much that she would get shocked. She was uncomfortable enough as it was. She didn't need to experience what ice water felt like on her bare skin.

Tatiana ripped off her bonnet and stepped under the cool stream, grimacing at the sudden change in temperature, but thankful when she got used to it. 

Now, to just stay here until she didn't feel like passing out anymore…

XxX

William had woken up when Tatiana had left the bedroom. His sensitive ears had picked up on her muttering as she made her way down the hall and then to the kitchen. He was content to wait for her to return, not feeling any particular urge to follow her, until he heard a window open and then a few minutes later a door also open and shut. 

He sat up. Had she left? It was the middle of the night, he reasoned. She wouldn't just leave. 

But he didn't like the fact that he wasn't positive about that.

So, he got out of bed, and stalked down the hall. He entered the kitchen first, because that's where she had stopped first. The window was open, snow flurries from outside falling on the inside window ledge. Outside, he heard a car pass down the alley, snow crunching under its tires, and a dog bark somewhere in the distance. 

Hm.

He noted the cup on the counter, and then turned to where he thought the sound of the door had come from. As he crossed the threshold into the living room, he caught the sound of the shower through the bathroom door, and relaxed. 

She was still here. She hadn't left. 

He tilted his head. But why was she taking a shower? 

William couldn't feel how hot the house was. To him it was pretty ambient. His temperature always got quite hot when he was in a rut and usually stayed that way until the end of it. 

The idea that she was boiling hadn't even crossed his mind, but then again the alpha was the one in charge at the moment and small details like that tended to get missed.

The change in personalities had taken pretty quickly compared to past ruts. Rut meant William wasn't in as much control as he usually exerted, which also meant the alpha personality he preferred to keep at bay could come to the surface unhindered. Once William had fallen asleep, it was easy for the switch to occur, and the alpha was quite curious to know why she was up at such a late hour, and taking a shower at that. 

She should be sleeping, the alpha mused to himself as he stood outside the bathroom door listening. She should be curled up in their bed next to him, sleeping soundly and without worry. 

What could be so important she had to disturb the routine with a midnight shower?

The alpha was a creature of habit. He liked when they snuggled. They did it every night without fail and even though the main personality didn't let him make verbal input, he was still able to relish the attention from the corner of the mind he usually occupied. She was warm and soft, and she when they cuddled he could put his leg over her hip and she wouldn't mind. She would say it was nice and tell him how nice their fur was, and he liked that very much.

But they weren't doing that tonight. And it bothered the alpha. It was curiosity that was biting at him more than anything else, and he just wanted to know what she was doing.

He eyed the doorknob, considering his options.

There was no better way to find out than asking, he supposed, and opened the bathroom door, slipping inside.

Tatiana was standing under the showerhead, just letting the water wash over her. She was starting to feel better, not so sick, but it wasn't one hundred percent fixed just yet. 

She hadn't bothered to turn the light on when she had come into the bathroom, and the shower was loud, so she didn't hear or see William enter. Later, she would chide herself for being so out of it as not to even hear the glass door that encased the shower open. If she had, she probably wouldn't have screamed when William touched her, and thrown the soap at him in self defense. 

"William!" She squealed for help, not realizing that the person in the shower was her boyfriend until after she had pelted him with soap. He looked just as panicked as her when their eyes met, and she had to face herself to calm down and refrain from chucking more bathroom products at him.

"Oh,  _ fuck, _ hun. You scared the shit out of me!" She moaned, both relieved and upset he had chosen to sneak up on her. She huffed. "What are you doing up?"

William looked a little cautious, as though he was scared to approach her, and she realized it was because she was still poised to strike, a bottle of shampoo clutched in her hand. She set it back down and the angel stopped cowering, coming fully into the shower. 

"You left," was all he said, and Tatiana noted that he sounded… off.

Not terribly, but enough to where she questioned it.

"Are you feeling okay?" Maybe he was just hot like her. Could explain why he didn't seem like himself. The heat would make anyone delirious.

He nodded, and she continued to watch him. After a moment he reached for her, fingers brushing the cool skin on her arm. He quickly recoiled, snatching his hand back as though he was burned. 

"You're cold," he hissed, displeased, and Tatiana tilted her head.

"Yeah… babe, it's hot as fuck in this house. Aren't you melting?" She gestured to the shower. "I had to come in here cause I almost passed out."

She couldn't see super well, the window in the bathroom not providing much light. What light there was caught William's pupils, and she was momentarily fascinated by how cryptic he looked, eyes reflective like a cats. But most importantly she was able to see his silhouette tilting his own head at her question, like an inquisitive dog. 

"You can't feel it?"

He didn't answer her, and Tatiana finally connected the dots. 

She wasn't talking to William. Well, she was, but not the one she usually interacted with.

"You're under, aren't you?" He perked a bit at her words, and she turned off the shower. She was cool enough she could deal with this now. She got closer, and William purred at her as she neared him. One good look at his face and, while still dark, she could see enough it confirmed her suspicions. 

"Your calendar was way off, sweetheart," she teased slightly, and took Williams' hand. She led him out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off with herself before exiting.

They went to the couch. Tat made William sit and she went and closed the window. It hadn't done much in terms of cooling down the house, but she would have to worry about it later. Her boyfriend had priority at the moment. 

But, what was she even supposed to do? 

She had tried to prepare herself the last few days but hadn't had much luck. William had tried to answer as many questions of hers as possible but there were just too many to cover. And most of them he couldn't answer because he didn't know. William had talked about his rut as though he lost all higher thinking when the alpha personality took over. Tat could say for certain that wasn't the case. The alpha, for now at least, seemed just as intelligent as regular William, if a little less talkative. 

She had not wanted to assume anything, but she couldn't help but wonder if now that he was under, would the sex start.

It was logical, at least for her. The limited knowledge she had would suggest that yes, once the rut started you didn't leave the bed. But William was sitting calmly in front of her, the only noise he was making being the steady purr that was rumbling out of his chest. He wasn't frothing at the mouth or frantically humping the furniture. 

She was stumped. 

"How are you feeling?" 

Her boyfriend didn't answer, just purred louder. It didn't really help, but she supposed it was a good sign he was purring. She sighed.

"Well, I have to change the sheets, and then we can go back to bed," Tatiana announced, and that got a bit of a reaction. She smiled. "You're probably still tired, huh?"

He didn't answer her, but she was getting used to it. He followed her to the bedroom and helped her remake the bed with fresh sheets, and then crawled back into it when she did. She had to resist pushing him away when he curled around her, his body much warmer than usual. It was stifling and uncomfortable, but she knew he couldn't help it, and she didn't want to accidentally offend him by pushing him away. 

She just made sure the window was open before she succumbed to his too warm embrace, and fell back into a fitful sleep.

When she woke up again, William was gone.

That in itself was not unusual. William was an early riser by default. She was not. Tatiana preferred to stay up late and sleep in when possible. 

Today was not the day though. Tatiana got up and padded out of the bedroom. The house was quiet, which also wasn't odd, but she still felt like she needed to check on him. 

"Babe?" She called, rounding the corner. She heard movement, and William popped out of the kitchen but he looked guilty and she was instantly suspicious.

"What are you doin- Oh."

The scene that met her eyes in the kitchen was surprising to say the least. It looked like a tornado had blown through, every cupboard opened and foodstuff strewn all about. William let out a low whine behind her, further cementing why he appeared guilty, and Tat carefully picked through some of the garbage. 

It was all packaging. Boxes, plastic, Styrofoam. Ripped apart with no finesse or strategy. She let her gaze wander, noted the crumb trails, spots of blood on the floor that seemed to be coming from the fridge. Tatiana approached, cornflakes cracking under her feet because they covered the floor. She opened the fridge and was met with more mess, and an empty fridge.

"Did…" she started, closing the fridge and opening the freezer. Empty. She looked at the cabinets, the empty shelves. 

William had cleaned them out.

The criminal in question was whining again, a low sound she didn't hear him make often. She turned to him, and he avoided eye contact. 

"You ate everything," she said, tone not angry. More surprised. William continued to avoid looking at her, and she chuckled a little, because in the end it was kind of funny. He went from refusing to eat anything to consuming everything, and in a record amount of time. Tatiana knew he could pack in the calories, but this had to be a record.

She picked up one of the electrolyte bottles William had been saving and waved it at the guilty angel.

"I don't think you were supposed to eat all your rut supplies in one go, or the rest of the food in the house for that matter." She picked up an empty styrofoam tray, inspecting it. "When did you even have time to cook all this?"

William whined again, and she deadpanned.

"Oh… you didn't, did you?" 

Another self reporting look. 

Tat couldn't help but snort at his look and double over with laughter. She laughed so hard her sides started to hurt, and she was more wheezing than anything else. When she finally came up for air, William was still giving her a look of general unamusement, and she wiped at the tears that had sprung into her eyes during her fit.

"Well, it's a good thing you can't get sick from eating raw meat," she said, still chuckling as she spoke. William huffed at her, but didn't reply further.

While it was incredibly funny that William had eaten literally everything the kitchen had to offer, it also posed a problem. No food was no bueno, at least for her. Tatiana didn't intend to join him on his two week fast so she needed to replenish the stores and make sure William couldn't do it again. 

However, that meant shopping. Usually going out was no problem. But then again, her boyfriend wasn't usually in Rut either so it wasn't going to be as easy as stepping out and coming back. 

Or, would it? 

Tatiana observed William again for a moment. He still seemed remarkably calm, just like he had last night. Besides his one person food rampage, the house was still intact and he didn't look like he was struggling to keep a level head. 

Maybe she could sneak out for a bit, grab some groceries and be back. 

"Since you ate everything," she started, William ceasing his pouting as he sensed the change in conversation. "I gotta go run to the store. Do you think you'll be okay by yourself for a little bit? An hour, maybe an hour and a half."

She was really hoping it would be yes. He seemed put together enough that an errand run wouldn't do him in-

But William quickly changed that thought for her, the angel looking visibly distressed at the possibility that she had to leave. 

"Why?" He asked, sounding hurt, and if that wasn't a punch in the gut Tatiana didn't know what was.

"Babe, I'm not mad. I'm not leaving you," she quickly countered, and it seemed to help a little bit but the worried look on his face didn't completely disappear. She continued to explain. "I need to go get food though. You ate it all, and I know you say you don't eat a lot during this time, but if you do get hungry, then what?" 

Her tone was soft, and William appeared to be thinking about her words. She could see the cogs turning as she spoke.

"Plus," she added, "you didn't exactly leave anything for me either." 

He didn't? 

William made a noise of confusion and Tatiana giggled a little bit. He was cute. The alpha was smart, but a little dopey. "I can't go two weeks without food babe. And I definitely can't carbo load like you just did," she pointed out. "So I have to go shopping."

"Do you think you'll be okay?"

"No."

The answer was short and to the point. The moment she had suggested leaving had evoked a strong emotion of concern for the alpha, who wasn't outright panicking, but he definitely wasn't comfortable with the idea of being apart. 

He didn't fear her departure out of jealousy. Rather, he was scared she wouldn't come back, and he didn't want to be alone. 

They were always alone.

She was blinking, his reply apparently not what she had been hoping for. But she didn't get mad. She just sighed a little, smiled at him gently. 

"You know I still have to go," she said, and he looked away, pursing his lips.

"Order in," he replied. They did it all the time. It wasn't like they couldn't do it now too. 

He heard her step towards him, felt her body heat against his side as she got close enough to touch. One of her hands ran down his spine, a steady pressure, and he felt himself relax. He liked when she touched him, especially when she knew he was tense. He didn't even realize it half the time, but she did, and he loved her for it. 

"I'm not going to blow a hundred bucks a day on take out, silly. You know that," she chided him, and he pouted. She continued to pet him, hand moving up his back, over one of the scars beneath his shoulder blades. William melted then, started purring. 

He loved it even more when she paid even his broken parts attention.

"Do you want to go with?" He heard her ask, though it was hesitant. He immediately perked up. She was willing to let him accompany her?

This was acceptable. Nay, more than acceptable! He trilled a little, and she was laughing again as he stooped down to nuzzle her. 

"You seem put together enough. You made yourself sound like you couldn't function, but I think that's a lie at this point," his Darling said, letting him nuzzle her for a few minutes. When he stepped away she was rubbing her chin in thought, looking him up and down. 

"You're gonna have to put some pants on. Just in case."

Ugh. 

William knew what she was referring to and he was not looking forward to it. The damned grey sweatpants that his other half kept in the closet for when he was getting close to relinquishing his hold but still needed to do errands. They were unnatural and restrictive. He hated them, but the other half found them comfortable.

Bah **.**

Tatiana went back to the bedroom, coming back in a few minutes. She handed him the cursed pants and a shirt and told him to get ready. 

"I'll be right back. I need to wash my hair. Give me five minutes, okay?"

He nodded, watched her go, and then, once she was in the bathroom, contemplated hiding the pants so as to not have to wear them. 

Ah… but she was smart. It was one of the reasons he so adored her. She would find them, and then she would make him put them on anyway. 

He decided to not hide the pants and got dressed. 

The sweatpants were cut for angels like William, with ample fabric for his knee and the elastic cuff resting naturally right where his calf met his hock. If he hadn't been in rut, he would have enjoyed them, as they were comfortable. But he was in rut, and his sensitive skin did not appreciate extra fabric moving his fur around. 

Still, Tatiana had asked him to wear them, and he would. It was the only condition to going with her to the store, and he would rather suffer for an hour or two than be alone for the same amount of time.

He didn't have to wait long for her to come back out, freshly showered and dressed. She had taken her clothes into the bathroom with her, and when she emerged she was urging him towards the door to put his coat on. 

"Keys… wallet. Where's my wallet?" Tatiana muttered to herself, her purse not having its usual contents.

William, having noticed his coat pocket felt rather lumpy as he put it on, pulled out a slim wallet. He inspected it for a second before offering it to his girlfriend, who stopped searching the hallway storage table at the sight of it. Tatiana took it and flashed him a smile. "Thank you, Will," she said, and then went back to getting ready.

The alpha purred, a pleasant sensation spreading in his chest at her gratitude. 

They left the house, started to walk towards the direction of the Target that they usually frequented. Tat had said it was because she would have a better time finding some of the items he had stocked up on. William didn't really care. He was just happy to be along for the ride. 

It was bitter cold outside, the temps having plummeted as they tended to do when winter was supposed to be nearing its end. Tatiana was just grateful it wasn't windy. She could handle the cold so long as she wasn't trying to battle wind at the same time. 

William was quiet beside her the whole walk to the store, simply hovering close and not much else. She was still amazed at how composed he was, but supposed it could also be because it was the first day. Maybe it took a little longer for his rut to really hit? Either way, she was glad he was behaving, not that he didn't usually.

They got to the store, and Tat hoped it wasn't too busy. She had no idea what William would do if confronted with others of his own kind. Before he had slipped under he had mentioned that most angels tended to go into rut or heat in winter, so the possibility of running into another angel who was under the influence of hormones was rather large. Tatiana just hoped that they didn't have to cross that bridge, and if they did it wasn't too bad.

"Come on Will," she said, grabbing a cart because she was not about to carry everything she needed in a tiny basket. William chortled in reply, and she made a beeline for the grocery section.

The first few things on her list she found easy enough. They were basic necessities, like beef and chicken. Things she could season with anything and be okay with. It was William's items she was having a lot more trouble with, and after a while she understood why he took so much time preparing. Most stores were inclusive, but they didn't carry every brand under the sun. She had to settle for different ones, asking William if he cared if they didn't have a specific flavor and whatnot. The angel didn't seem to mind either way, but Tat did her best to replace everything that he had bought as closely as possible, especially his water and snack bars that had copious amounts of sugar.

In between grabbing replacement items, she stopped to browse, needing a break from having to thoroughly search shelves and labels. 

As she picked things up and inevitably put them back because she did not need them, she could feel her cart getting harder to push. When she finally looked, thinking that maybe the carts wheels were just defective, she saw various items that she didn't remember putting in the basket. 

"What-?" Tat said, picking through her cart. Everything she found looked familiar, as though she had looked at it recently, but she was positive she hadn't put it in the cart. 

Well, in any case, she didn't need it. Tatiana shrugged, took all the extra items she didn't want and put them back on the shelf, silently apologizing for being  _ that _ person that dumped items willy nilly and didn't even try to put them back where they had been originally found. Any other day she wouldn't have dreamed of it, but today was not that day. 

She didn't make it very far before she figured out that she wasn't losing her memory and who the real culprit was.

She had gotten distracted by a display of dog toys, the cheaply made stuffed animals displaying festive designs like a Santa and an elf. Tatiana picked one up to look at its details better and give the toy an obligatory squeeze. The toy honked and she felt satisfaction before putting it back. She didn't have a dog, so she didn't need the toy. 

It didn't stop William from trying to sneak it into the cart. 

Tatiana blinked, watching the angel drop the toy into the basket when he thought she was distracted. "Babe," she started, "we don't have a dog."

William looked confused. A dog? What did that have to do with anything? 

"You wanted it," he said, and it was Tatiana's turn to be confused once more. 

"Wanted… oh." 

She understood now.

The alpha was mistaking her looking at things as wanting them, even if they were random and didn't fit their lifestyle at all. William had mentioned that that's what some people would do during the haze, bring strange things to their partners in the hopes of pleasing them. She shouldn't be surprised at all really that he was one of those people.

"You're a sweetheart," she cooed, and William looked immensely pleased with her praise. It almost made her want to let him continue, the simple act apparently meaning quite a lot to him. But she couldn't. If she did, they'd not only run up quite a tab but she'd be reinforcing a habit that wasn't a good one.

Tatiana took the toy and set it back on the shelf, and his face fell, once again not understanding. She touched his arm. "I don't need everything I pick up. Just what I put in the cart."

"But," he began to protest, and Tatiana just shook her head.

"It's okay," Tatiana reassured. She took his hand, kissed his knuckles, and any further argument died on his lips at the gesture. "I don't need you to impress me. You've already done that, countless times. Remember?"

A soft sound left William at her words and she hummed. It was true, and she had no problem telling him that. She's say it a million times and a million more if he wished. 

They continued their shopping after that. The cart was already fuller than she had originally intended and she was kind of glad William had come in the end. He could carry the heavier bags home and save her arms the hassle. 

They stopped one more time in the water aisle on their way to the checkout, Tatiana determined to fill her list. She was just missing one thing, and once she had that she would be set to go. William had seemed very specific on getting this particular type of water. Or, energy drink? She wasn't sure, but he had said it helped him when he was recovering from his rut and she wasn't going to give up as easily as she would have had it been something of her own. 

She sighed, looking at the wall of bottles and labels. Her head was starting to hurt from all the reading she was doing, even though she did a ton of reading for a living.

Her eyes scanned the shelves, William distracted with something on the shelf behind her. Another angel had come down the aisle too and was looking at the labels. Tatiana didn't even register he was there, until he approached her while she was squinting in a vain effort to read a brand name without having to actually go over and get closer.

Ugh… Why did they all have to look and sound the same?

"Excuse me," the unfamiliar angel asked for her attention, and she snapped out of her own musings to focus on him. 

"I'm sorry to bother you. I can't really see anything, my glasses broke on the way here. Could you point out the Charger waters?" 

The angel in question was about regular human height, but still taller than her. He looked bashful, as though he was quite flustered to have to ask for help. She knew the feeling.

"Charger? It's no problem." She reached for the brand, pulled one off the shelf. They were all the same flavor anyway, so she didn't have to think about what to grab. She handed it to him without a second thought, and the angel flushed a bit more.

"Thank you," he said, taking it but not putting it in the basket he was carrying right away. 

Tatiana went to say no worries or something along those lines, but William interrupted her, a keening noise sounding from behind her. She turned, wondering if he was okay, but he was watching the two of them with a hurt expression. The woman instantly started to go through the last few minutes in her head. What had set him off this time?

Try as she might, she couldn't pinpoint what it was, and gave her boyfriend a pleading look for clarification. He answered by just looking at the other angel and the bottle she had given him, and the stranger in turn looked mortified.

"Oh, I-Im sorry," they began to stutter. "I didn't realize…"

Realize what?

Tatiana looked back and forth again, desperate to figure out the puzzle. Finally, it clicked as William proceeded to pull her close and push a random item into her hands. 

Wait… was this about the bottle?

The other angel was still standing there, looking for all the world mortified, the water bottle she had given him clutched in his hand. She looked down at the bag of candy William had shoved into her arms before holding her close, his own much larger hands pulling at her gently but intently and holding her firmly to his front. A soft, rumbling growl had started to emit from Williams chest, and Tatiana had only a little bit of time to make the connection and set about putting the fuse out before it possibly ignited a much larger powder keg.

"No! Babe, this is my bad," Tatiana quickly tried to distract her boyfriend, realizing her mistake. She had given a gift to another angel, one who looked like they were about to slip under the influence of their own heat themselves. She hadn't meant to do such a thing, but she had and it was her job to apologize and clear the air. 

"I made a mistake," she said, cooing to him. He was watching her, eyes focused on her for the most part though they would flick to the other angel periodically. "I'm still learning, I'm sorry. I wasn't giving him a gift though. I was just trying to be helpful."

William puffed, expression still twisted to one of worry and anger, but it smoothed some as she spoke. He didn't let her go though, and Tatiana wiggled her arms free so that she could show him the bag of sour gummies he had given her in an effort to produce a gift worthy of her attention. She opened it, took one of the artifical sweets and popped it into her mouth, making a show of it. 

God it was tangy. Too sour, but in that tongue numbing artificial way that made her want to gag and pucker her lips impossibly tight. She hated these things, but it was what William had given her and she hadn't known how else to say she approved of him,  _ chose _ him, over the other dude who was still standing there for some reason. 

"Mmm,  _ good _ ." Tatiana stressed the good, trying to be believable. 

William was watching her fully now, and his grip on her, though not painful, lessened considerably. The growl dimmed, and eventually turned into an inquisitive murring noise that made her feel confident that she had done a good job of convincing him he was her superior choice. She kept chewing, swallowing the offensive candy once it wasn't so sour to seal the deal. Well, she hoped it was anyway. Tatiana was trying really really hard not to come off as offensive, but the rather caveman like way she was handling this seemed to be going well. 

The other angel scampered off, finally having the sense to leave the vicinity and possible harm. William let her go once he was out of sight, and continued to murr quietly as sighed.

Well, that was a bullet dodged. But she definitely did not want to stay out any longer. 

Tatiana placed the open bag of candy in the cart. She would have to purchase it now that she had opened it, and took William's hand. She threw a bunch of waters in the cart, no longer looking for any specific kind, and then proceeded towards the checkout, her boyfriend happy to hold her hand the whole way.

They paid, which was an adventure of itself because she had to remind William that she wasn't giving anyone gifts, but that she was paying for goods, and then finally left the store. Tatiana was able to breathe a little easier once they were back out on the main street and walking towards home. William had insisted on carrying all the bags so her hands were free and that helped get rid of the rest of her stress. She looked up at William as they continued towards home. 

"You're awfully worried about someone stealing my attention," she mused, and William chuffed in response. She smiled.

"You know you don't have to worry, right?"

Another chuff.

Tatiana chuckled a little. The alpha was definitely strange, but she kind of liked that. Hopefully his anxiety would lessen though, more for his sake than hers. She knew William could be a worry wart and he didn't handle stress all that well when under it.

The walk back was uneventful. Tatiana put everything away once they were home and William helped by handing her the groceries or by using his height to his advantage to reach the cupboards she couldn't reach (which were most of them since his house was built for someone of his size and stature, not hers). 

After that, it was to the sofa, to rest and recharge after that exciting adventure.

XxX

When Tatiana woke up from her impromptu nap on the sectional it was because she felt something moving around between her legs under the blanket she had draped over herself prior to passing out.

She hummed, moving to peek under the blanket. As she grabbed the edge to see what creative way William had snuggled up to her this time, something warm and wet swiped across her cunt, and she felt like electricity had shot through every nerve in her body. 

The sensation shocked her so much she momentarily forgot what she had been about to do, gripping the edge of the couch so tightly the muscles in her hands ached. Her breathing was staggered, and she couldn't get it back. 

Tatiana was positive she had been fully dressed when she had laid down. When had he had the time to get her pants off and not wake her up whole doing it?

A contented purr emanated from under the throw and she reached for it again to spy at her mischievous boyfriend when another hot stripe was laid along her folds, William wicked tongue setting to work. 

William was fantastic at oral. He prided himself on it, always willing to show her his prowess. Tatiana could recall nights where that's all he would do, getting just as much pleasure from eating her out as he did actually fucking her till she was hanging off his knot and mewling his name. And it never disappointed. William's tongue was long and dexterous. Not like a snake but definitely longer than the average human's. He knew how to use it, and no matter how many times they did it she could never really prepare for the sensations he could wring from her eager body.

Just like now.

The interesting combination of his movements plus the slightly rough texture of his tongue made her gasp, rock against his face. She felt his chin bump her ass, his lips curve into a smile against her skin. His hands snaked up, grabbed the meat of her thighs and held her against his face firmly so she couldn't wiggle away. 

Tatiana's own hand found its way to his head, gently fisted his hair. Her hips bucked up, driving his tongue deeper. He sighed, sounding pleased, and his tongue slowly started to thrust in and out of her. 

This was different, Tatiana realized. The pleasure she was feeling building, but not in the rapid way he usually intended. Where his actions usually brought her to a boil, instead was now a low simmer. It was still hot, heat still pooling in her belly, but she didn't feel like she would go crazy, where she would need to beg for mercy. William's strokes were slow, languid. Like molasses being poured. His nose would rub against her clit at random, bright bolts of pleasure zipping through her and mingling with the steady thrum that was in the background. It made her whimper, grip his hair tight and then relax again, her hips wiggling in an attempt for more. But he didn't give to her pleas, didn't move faster. He just kept slowly fucking her with his tongue, keeping her warm and pliant. 

She could feel herself getting wetter, Tatiana undoubtedly turned on by the gentle attention she was being given. It wasn't often they did something slow, usually too wound tight to bother with taking it easy. It was a nice change of pace though, and she was able to focus on his talents rather than being lost in the feverish haze that sex normally brought. 

But she wanted more.

She let go of his hair, shakily stroking it instead. "Y-youre driving me crazy here, babe…" she panted, because it was true. While the sensations were nice, and she was enjoying it, she didn't think she was going to get off. Not without a little more speed. Williams tongue was hitting all the right spots but she was unfortunately a girl who didn't do well with gentle petting. William knew this and was more than happy to oblige her preferences for rougher treatment. However this time he ignored her, and Tatiana huffed as he continued to make her squirm but gave her no relief.

William, meanwhile, was in Heaven. 

The moment she had laid down to sleep he had begun to scheme, to think of a way to show her his appreciation and win her favor.

He had tried at the store, taking care to watch for ideas as to what would please her. He had thought he was doing a good job when he would go and pick up all the things she even so much as glanced at. If she was looking at them then they had to be something she wanted and he was a provider at heart. He enjoyed giving her things and watching her swoon. 

But she had caught him, and had told him he didn't need to do that. He had been confused, but figured that maybe he just wasn't paying enough attention to what she wanted exactly. He didn't want to give her gifts of low value after all so maybe it was good she had found him out.

And then that other angel had come around, smelling of sweetness and submission. An omega. 

He had asked his female to hand him something from the shelf, and she had because she was kind and giving.

William had never felt such fear in his life.

Her human nose was numb to the copious amount of pheromones the other man had been releasing, but William's wasn't. He could smell how the Omega was working up the courage to ask her for more of her attention, and he had reflexively interjected because he was  _ scared _ . 

Scared that she would change her mind and go with the omega instead.

Her scent was still her own, which did not help matters. She had showered before they had left the house and hadn't given him an opportunity to lay his own scent on her again before they had made it to the store. The omega had thought she was single and was no doubt looking to find a partner to spend his heat with. He would agree that his female was the superior choice, but she was taken. She had claimed him already, and the omega needed to understand that.

The alpha was not a violent person. Though he could get angry, his tolerance was high. Many other alphas would have lashed out at the other angel for his impudence, but William did not want to start a fight with someone who no doubt would be a weak opponent to begin with. Instead, he had thought to give  _ her _ something, to redirect her attention and remind her that he was still there.

The bag he had given her seemed fine enough. She had taken it and after a moment had even opened it and started to consume the contents. He was pleased by this, the natural urge to provide even stronger now that he was in season. She had even apologized for her mistake, and that made him feel better as well. 

But it hadn't smoothed him over completely. In fact, the whole thing had convinced the alpha that he needed to do more to make sure her affections did not waiver, and that she would not reject his gifts again.

So when William had seen her go to sleep, it did not take him long to decide on his next course of action.

He let her sleep, not wishing to disturb her, and when her scent had shifted to suggest she would wake soon he slipped under the blanket on his belly. 

William took off her pants, careful not to disturb her and wake her before he was in position. Once the offending article of clothing was gone, he parted her legs, slipped between them.

Her thighs were warm, her skin soft against his cheek as he nuzzled the inside of her leg. He had removed her underwear too when he had pulled off her pants, and he took it upon himself to press kisses to her shaved mound now that it was exposed. Her scent was intoxicating, made his mouth water as he hovered over her cunt. The desire to lick her was strong and he would, but not until she was awake.

He forced himself to redirect, to continue to press kisses to her flesh on her legs. Tatiana stirred under his lips after a few minutes, humming as she came too.

_ Excellent,  _ the alpha thought to himself. 

The blanket shifted, started to lift upwards, and William decided that he was done waiting. 

He descended upon her, dragging his tongue over her pussy and shivering at the immense satisfaction the act gave him. Her responding gasp spurred him on even more, and he purred loudly before settling further on his stomach and licking her again.

He grabbed her thighs, pulled her closer to him as she bucked up into his mouth. He sunk his tongue into her, relishing how she whimpered and her walls quivered. She tasted sweet, addictive. 

He could do this all day.

Tatiana's muscles jumped and twitched under his large hands, and she wiggled against him, searching for more friction. He let her buck against his tongue, heard her whimper for more, but for once he did not listen. He was going to take his time. He'd make her slowly climb the ladder, and when she was almost there he'd string her along for a little longer before eventually letting her come undone.

He knew how her body worked. His bitch preferred a firmer touch, liked it when he thrust into her hard and fast and made her lose her mind from how she hadn't broken under the force he exerted. And he liked it too, his other half just as wild as she when it came to things in the bedroom. 

But he didn't deserve to fuck her yet. He still had so much courting to do, so much effort to put in to make her choose him. He knew she had already agreed to spend his rut with him, but if he could help it, he would get her to agree to so much more.

Her thighs squeezed his head, her legs corded with more muscle than she may have thought due to how her body was built. He moaned at the pressure, pressed his tongue into her even deeper and she squirmed. 

"B-babe…" 

Yes, yes! He loved it when she talked.

He gripped her legs tighter, claws digging into her skin. She rolled her hips, grabbed his hair again. Her breath was coming in short, ragged breaths and he could feel her slick dripping down his chin as he teased her into a frenzy. 

"Ugh… stop  _ teasing _ \- ah!" 

He smirked. She was getting frustrated. He knew his methods were different from what she was used to. It felt good, but she was impatient. He would have to teach her to trust the process, and let him do the work for her. 

She squeezed his head again and he resisted the urge to let his eyes roll into the back of his head when she did so. He loved it when she squeezed him. She was much stronger than she let on. She couldn't hurt him, but fuck was it a turn on. 

She squeezed, legs trembling, and he let her. When her legs went slack he moved his hands so that they were on the inside of her thighs, and he applied pressure so that her legs fell apart. When she tried to close them again, she couldn't, William applying enough force to keep them open and prevent her from interfering.

He couldn't concentrate if she kept distracting him, after all.

Tatiana cursed under her breath and her hand found its way to his hair again. He didn't mind. She could grab him as often as she wanted. He purred, feeling her gush around his tongue as he pressed along the bundle of nerves inside. A long moan clawed its way out of her throat and he made a point to focus on that area for a while.

Soon she was squirming in earnest, skin starting to sweat as she got hotter and hotter. Her hand was pulling at his hair, her whimpers more intense and her desperation showing. She was nearing her limit. He could feel it.

It came soon after, his female arching her back off the couch and begging for release. 

"Please! Please, William," she sobbed, sounding so wrecked he couldn't help but groan in reply. His hips rocked against the couch cushions, the erection he was sporting having been largely ignored until now. He didn't reach down to take himself in hand though, giving a few more ruts into the cushion before doubling down on his efforts to pleasure her. 

He pulled his tongue out, a strand of saliva connecting him to her that snapped when he moved and started flicking it across her clit. Tatiana arched her back again, almost violently so, and she squealed so prettily it made his ears ring. No doubt the neighbors next door had heard her through the walls. He smirked a bit at the idea. 

Maybe they'd have to try something a bit more risqué sometime. He didn't care if people saw. He wondered if she would, or if she would just get more turned on by the idea of people seeing her in rapture…

He groaned again at his own train of thought, Tatiana mewling under him. She was spasming, a wet spot having formed on the couch from how soaked she was and William's own drool. He held her legs apart a bit harder, worked at her clit faster. He was done teasing now. Now he wanted to see her come undone, watch her pussy clench as she came and hear her scream his name again.

She was tapping the couch now, rapid thumps of her fist against the arm of the piece of furniture, her entire body stiffening as she approached the edge of the metaphorical cliff and prepared to jump off. 

Wouldn't be much longer, he mused, sinking his tongue back into her dripping cunt and rubbing his thumb against her clit. She let out a choked off scream and jerked at the feeling of his calloused digit abusing her bundle of nerves, one of her hands flying to grab his arm but she couldn't quite reach. 

He chuckled, and she cursed at him, before moaning.

" **_William."_ **

It was the beginning of the end for her. 

William was treated to the prettiest whine he had ever heard, Tatiana clenching down around his tongue and cumming,  _ hard.  _ It was fantastic, the feeling, but he wanted to see it. 

He pulled out just in time to see her squirm, her slick dripping down his chin. The aftershocks were ripping through her and making her whole body spasm. He petted her thighs while she trembled, thumbs rubbing circles into the junction where her thighs met her pelvis before spreading her lips to get a better view of the show.

She was gorgeous when she came. He could watch her do it over and over again if she let him. 

He didn't realize he was panting until she whined again, legs trying to close. His huffing was over stimulating her, her cunt still super sensitive. 

"Good?" He asked. 

Tatiana huffed at him, sounding tired, but soon the blanket was being ripped off his head and exposing him to her gaze. 

She looked utterly ruined, cheeks flushed and her hair, usually so carefully coiled to keep her natural curls defined, fluffed and frizzy from her thrashing. Her lips were puffy, probably because she had been biting it in an effort to keep quiet, and her glower was full of fire.

"You're a monster," she muttered, her breathing still labored. 

William smirked, all teeth. "Yours," was all he said.

She rolled her eyes at him, but a smile tugged at her lips. She moved to sit up, and he held her down. She blinked at him, confused.

"What are you doing?" 

"I'm not finished."

"Not finished?" She tilted her head at him. He nodded, pulled her hips towards him. She fell back against the couch, not sure what was going on, and then gasped when William was right back at her folds.

"Fuck!"

William chuckled.

Oh, she was in for a long day…


	18. The Topic Of Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a stupid question that brought up too many feelings.

Tatiana had lost count of how many times she had orgasmed. 

William was a master of his craft, and apparently also a master at making her forget just how long she had been at his mercy.

By the time she finally shoved him off of her her limbs felt like jello and her pussy was so sensitive that she was positive if he even looked at it she'd be shaking like a leaf. William looked like the cat who finally caught the canary, chest all puffed up in pride as she crawled away from him. The couch was just as bad, a prominent wet spot where she had been laying, unable to leave due to her boyfriend refusing to let her.

"That was-" Tatiana couldn't even finish. She was so out of it it was unreal. 

William watched her, eyes predatory in their intensity. He looked like he was about to pounce, and she needed a break even though his brand of torture was admittedly very good. 

"N-no! Keep your distance!" Tatiana waved him away, and she thought she heard him chuckle. She shakily got to her feet, using the couch for support as she stood. "I need to eat something."

William chortled from his spot on the couch as she slowly made her way to the kitchen. She hastily put together a sandwich, not really paying much attention to how it was created, and then made her way back to the living room. 

The wet spot was gone, Tatiana back in time to see William use his magic to make it disappear. He didn't use his magic much, which she thought was a shame. Magic fascinated her and she always liked seeing it being used even for the most mundane of things. 

"Were you a big magic user? Back in Heaven?" 

She sat down, wincing slightly as her sensitive bits made contact with the cushion. She shifted her weight so that she was sitting on her hip rather than her ass, and it relieved her of the sensation well enough. Once comfortable, she picked up half of the sandwich and bit into it, looking to her partner for his answer to her question.

Only when she looked at him his face had screwed up into one of distaste and she frowned.

"What's wrong?"

William shook his head. "Heaven bad," he muttered.

Bad? What did that mean?

"I don't understand…"

Bad could mean so many things. Did he mean socially? Economically? Did he mean bad as in the memories he had there, or was it the people? She had never really heard him talk about heaven either, so she had no basis to go off of. Maybe if she had she would have had an inkling as to the meaning behind the word bad, but for now it was just a word and she didn't know which way to lean.

William shook his head again looking away for a moment. She thought she saw him grind his teeth, his jaw looking extra sharp for a moment before it relaxed and he looked back at her again.

"Not best place," he said. "Bad memories."

Oh…

Tatiana nodded. She understood that. Everyone had skeletons in their closets. She wasn't sure he was ready to talk about it, but she put her hand on his thigh to let him know that she was here for him should he change his mind. The gesture did not go unnoticed. William kissed her cheek before pulling her to sit between his legs while she ate her food.

Tatiana felt the hard outline of his erection straining against her back almost immediately and she faltered in her movements.

She hadn't even thought to help him. She knew he was in rut but he had basically tongue fucked the sense out of her and made thinking hard. Tatiana was surprised he hadn't jumped her yet now that she thought about it, not that she would have minded if he had. She quite enjoyed being pinned down by him whenever the mood struck.

"How long have you had this?" Tatiana asked, reaching behind her to touch him. Her fingers brushed his hard length, the velvety skin hot under her fingertips, and she felt him jerk a bit in reaction.

William puffed in her ear, his arms tightening around her midsection. "Long time," he grit out between pants, and she shivered a bit at how rough his voice sounded.

"I can help you," she offered. She waited for him to let go over her so that she could slip off the couch and get on her knees, but he never did. Instead, he tightened his grip again, buried his nose into her hair.

"No."

No?

Tatiana blinked. No was not a word she had expected to hear from him during his rut, especially not in this context. Had she done something wrong to make him say so? 

"Did I do something?" She would rather know now then keep guessing. She wanted to help him through his rut, not make it more stressful. 

William made a noise at her question and Tat thought it sounded sad. "No. Perfect," he murmured, and his arms squeezed her again in a hug. She reached up, touched his cheek and pressed his head close to hers.

"Then why can't I help?"

"Not yet."

Well that didn't help much. Before she could ask what that meant, William was taking the plate from her, urging her to eat some of the grapes she had tossed onto the dish along with her sandwich.

"Eat," he encouraged, pressing one of the green fruits to her lips. Tatiana didn't object, eating it without a fuss and enjoying the sweet taste while William purred at her acceptance of his offering.

She guessed she could let his cryptic message slide for a little while. Wasn't like they were in a rush.

She allowed him to feed her, going through about half the grapes and the rest of the half of the sandwich she had originally started eating. When he reached to pick up the remaining half she beat him to it, holding it up for him to take instead.

"You can have the rest," she said, unable to look at him but hoping he would take it. "I don't know how this all works really, but you seemed pretty hungry this morning. You need the energy more than I do." 

Well, considering how tired she was, maybe she should have been a little stingy. She was the one who felt like she had run a marathon.

Still, she offered it anyway. William shifted behind her, and she wished she could see his face to gauge his emotions. Eventually though she felt the weight of the sandwich in her hand get lighter, and with three bites it was gone, teeth lightly scraping her fingers on the last bite.

Huh. She forgot how small her portions were compared to his.

She did the same with the grapes, William taking them as they were offered save for the last one which he insisted she have. Tatiana thought it was sweet that he wanted to spoil her and gave in after he took it from her hand and pressed it to her lips again when outright refusal wouldn't make her do it herself. 

Plate now empty, Tatiana set it on the coffee table and did a stretch, her back popping some as she did. William's hands skirted up along her ribs as she worked on relieving tension from her spine, and they found their way to her breasts soon after. His fingers twisted her nipples, firm but not mean, and she huffed a bit as she felt the peaks of flesh stiffen under his touch.

Damn, he moved fast. She was just starting to wind down and now he was getting her all hot and bothered again. 

"Round five?" She joked, and William's lips were on her ear, a shiver shooting through her as he spoke.

"Eight." 

She could almost see the smile on his lips as he corrected her. One of his hands down abandoned her chest, slid down her front and between her legs. She felt two of his fingers rub at her clit for a second or two until she hissed at the roughness of his skin, before traveling further down and plunging into her.

She whined, leaning back against William to give herself more space to move. He still had claws, so she didn't try to grind down on his fingers, but she did enjoy the way they flexed slightly inside of her, ever mindful of his talons.

"You're supposed to be getting off," she grunted, throwing her head back against his shoulder as his fingers slowly fucked her.

William kissed her neck then bit down gently on the column of skin she had so eagerly presented. He lingered there for a moment, jaws firm but not painful, but did let go when she wiggled because of his fingers. "Not yet," he panted against her skin once his mouth was free. He licked where he had bitten, as if to apologize and Tat just moaned.

"I dunno if I can do it again-"

She was still so sensitive. His fingers already felt like too much, the occasional soft scrape of his claws (nowhere near painful usually) was now enough to make her grip his thighs hard and try to pull away. 

"Try."

Fuck. He usually wasn't so demanding, but damn did that command do something for her.

She bit her lip, nodding, and he purred. She gripped his thighs harder and spread her own legs to give his wrist more room to flex. He took the opportunity, and he was able to push into her a bit deeper, but still not very hard or fast. He didn't want to hurt her, and to be honest the extra inch was more than enough.

Her abused sex was already putting in the effort to get her off again, her walls clenching down on his digits and her slick soon making an obscene squelching noise as he thrusted them in and out of her. Tatiana groaned, focusing on his movements. Her body was willing, but tired. Still, the hypersensitivity was working. The coil in her belly started to wind up again, though it felt strung out and overused. She chased it anyway.

William's thumb brushed across her clit and she felt like the air was punched out of her lungs. Her hips stuttered, a bit too much, and William growled a bit at the movement. She received a bite on the neck for her move and she hissed.

Her hand flew to her neck, Tatiana grimacing. Fuck, that had actually hurt. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but he was already rumbling. "Careful," he told her, and any arguments died in her throat. 

Damn... She was getting reckless. She had almost hurt herself.

William seemed to sense this too and slowed his movements, eventually coming to a stop. He withdrew from between her legs, kissing her neck in apology. "I think I need a break," she admitted, and William agreed with her. She sagged against his chest.

"Tired," he said. "Rest."

She nodded. Yeah, she could go for another nap. She had just gotten up not too long ago but after all that she was exhausted. The woman moved to sit up and get from between his legs but the angel just scooped her up in his arms and stood. 

He took her to the bedroom and deposited her in their bed, to which she happily accepted. Their bed was super comfortable. Her nap would be ten times better here than on the couch where she had originally intended to lie down. She pulled the covers down and curled up underneath. William was shuffling around the room, but she didn't check on him. After a moment the bed dipped and she allowed herself to fall asleep.

XxX

Tatiana sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. A soft moan left her lips as her body reacted to her movements. Everything hurt, all her muscles aching deeply like she had just spent the whole day working out.

Well, she guessed that wasn't completely wrong. Tatiana chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she stretched. "He fuckin wrung me out," she murmured. She felt like she had gotten run over by a train, but she couldn't help but smile. William was a fantastic lover. She was very, very lucky to have him and his attentions.

Still, that did bring something up. Tatiana hadn't had a chance to repay him for his generosity. Every time she had mentioned it he had just said no, not yet. The woman wasn't even sure what that meant, and furthermore why did he keep saying to wait?

An even bigger question…

Where was he?

Tatiana looked around. She was alone again, which was strange because she could have sworn that he had come to bed with her. 

"Please tell me you haven't eaten everything again," Tatiana moaned as she got out of bed. Her knees shook as she stood, feeling weak, but she powered on. 

Tatiana made it to the livingroom, and was surprised at what she saw. 

No, there was no aftermath of a binge session, nor a mess of suspicious bodily fluids that would stain the furniture. Instead, it was as though she had stepped into the wrong house, the decor completely changed to what it had been meer hours before.

Large, soft colored moroccan pillows covered the floor, a myriad of blankets draped over a new couch that was twice the size of their last one and was wide enough to sleep two if needed. The coffee table was missing, apparently whisked away somewhere out of sight. Tatiana couldn't imagine where. It had to be magic. 

"Supposed to stay in bed," William's sultry voice was suddenly in her ear, his hands settling on her shoulders. 

Jesus. When did he get so good at sneaking up on her?

"You weren't there. I don't sleep well without my cuddle buddy," Tatiana replied, tearing her gaze away from the new setup and turning around to face him. She looked up at him as she stood up straight. "Did you sleep?"

"No," he said, and Tatiana frowned. 

"That doesn't sound good babe. Did you sleep last night? Before you ate everything in the kitchen?" Surely he had to be tired. _ Sh _ e was tired, and she hadn't done anything except lay on her back for an undetermined amount of time and get off. He had been the one doing all the work. His jaw muscles were probably screaming from earlier.

Much to her chagrin, he shook his head again. 

"No."

So simple. So nonchalant. 

Hm. The alpha was definitely not a talker. She would have to figure out how to better communicate with him.

"Well, I like what you've done with the place." Tatiana motioned to the livingroom and their new digs. "Do you do this every rut?"

That seemed to warrant more of a response because William was instantly nudging her towards the new furniture, gently pushing her down onto the sofa. Tatiana sank into the cushions, surprised by how after a moment she seemed to sink into them a bit deeper. 

Memory foam?

As if he could read her mind, William was rasping out the answer to her unspoken question. "Like the bed," he said, and Tatiana noted how it was exactly like their mattress. 

Huh. She didn't know couches could come like this.

One of the pillows was under her feet, and she took a moment to appreciate how fluffy it was. Must've had quality down inside of it. It didn't feel like regular stuffing, but it wasn't dense like the couch either. Her hand wandered, seeking out one of the many blankets that were nearby, and her fingers were treated to soft yarn. Bamboo, maybe. Or cashmere?

She felt the blanket a bit more, determining that whatever it was it was very soft indeed, and looked back up at William who was watching her. 

She noted the peculiar look in his eyes, as though waiting for her approval. She supposed this was another one of his attempts at courting, though she wasn't sure why he felt the need to do so. His anxious expression reminded her she didn't really have much time to think on it however, and she smiled up at him.

"This is lovely. You have good taste."

William chortled happily at her praise and she resisted the urge to giggle. 

This was going to take some getting used too, but it was undeniably cute how hard he was trying.

He left for a moment, Tatiana seeing him go to the kitchen. When he returned, he came bearing more gifts in the form of snacks. Tatiana's stomach growled once they were in view and she remembered that all she had eaten that day was a paltry sandwich and a handful of grapes, half of which she had shared with William. She was starving, and the day was almost done.

He offered her one of the many protein bars they had just picked up and she paused. There were quite a few of them, but at the same time they weren't really for her. "Are you sure?" She asked, and William looked confused at her question, flagging some. 

Did she not want it? Was it not good enough? 

He made a noise of cautious inquiry, and Tatiana realized that he thought she was disproving of his gesture. Oh, dammit. She had to stop doing that. 

"No, no. I mean, are you sure you want to share with me?" she clarified. "Those are yours. I can make something for myself, its no problem, really." Even though he was offering, Tatiana didn't want to take advantage of his generosity and have it come back to bite them. She still had no idea how the rest of this rut would progress, and if he would even eat or if he would and he would only eat certain things, hence how specific William's shopping list had been prior to.

She moved to get up, to go to the kitchen and grab something she knew wasn't set aside for his rut, but he stopped her. He pushed the bar into her hands and urged her back onto the sofa. Tat really couldn't fight him, even if she had been trying, and she sat back down, eyeing the bar. 

Another courting gesture. Tatiana hadn't expected to experience it, but a small part of her was happy with the attention, stupidly so. If she thought about it for longer than a second, she could feel how being fussed over caused warmth to coil in her chest, in a part of her where she didn't often try to feel things. 

She wasn't used to being the center of anyone's attention. 

William was an exception, but even now this felt… different.

She stared at the bar for a while longer, lost in her own thoughts and sensations. William waited, growing concerned after a moment. Maybe she didn't want it, and was thinking of how to tell him no. Anxiety pricked its head up at the thought. He didn't want her to be unhappy. The whole point of him doing this was to please her, an urge he couldn't satiate until she participated. 

He'd get her another one. Maybe it was the flavor she didn't find appealing. He was pretty sure she liked caramel though. He had been careful to find ones she would like, an effort he had sneakily added to the others subconscious when he had gone shopping by himself. 

The plan to ask her to stay had always been there. He had had no intention of being alone again for another rut, not when she was here and such a perfect match. He had been scheming for months now, and it had worked. But his courting skills were rusty. Nay, underused. He hadn't had much practice in this area. Sex was one thing, but trying to win over his soulmate's heart was not something the alpha nor his other half were masters at. 

He moved to leave, unable to keep the whine of discouragement from leaving his throat as he did so. Tatiana noticed, and called after him.

"Wait, whats wrong?" 

He didn't answer right away. He went back to the kitchen, dug around in the drawer that they had put all the protein bars in. He picked out one of each flavor before returning to her side, dumping the spread into the couch. 

"Better?" He asked, hoping so. He couldn't remember a time where he felt this strung out. He knew her, knew her preferences, but he felt like he was blindly shooting in the dark trying to get this right.

He sounded stressed, Tatiana noticed once he returned. She could see it on his face too, the way he was avoiding direct eye contact yet unable to stop watching her. She let her gaze sweep across the assortment of foodstuff he had brought to her, a somewhat frantic attempt at appeasement. The alpha was obviously not very confident in some areas, though she still didn't know why. Either way, she kept the bar hebhad originally gave her, and opened it. 

"I like caramel," she said, William's sigh of relief heard and noted. She looked up at him. "You're doing a good job."

She wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, but she wanted the alpha to know he didn't have to stress. Tatiana was a simple woman. She did not need constant gifts to win her affections. Just being there was enough.

A pang of sadness struck somewhere in her chest at the thought, and she paused in her eating. 

Now that she thought about it, she had never really received gifts. William's attempts at mating were perhaps not ideal enough to be considered gifts by most, but they were frequent. And he worried about if she would like them. 

No one had really don't that for her either…

A dangerous swell of emotions started to well inside her and she quickly clamped them off. 

No. Not now. 

She couldn't do this now.

Tatiana resumed eating, taking a second to compose herself before focusing back on her boyfriend. 

He was hovering beside her, Tatiana having been sitting on the end of the sectional. He was close enough that she could smell his body wash, a lovely hint of bergamot that she thought fit him so well and reminded her of cozy book nooks and rainy days spent curled up sipping tea. 

And, from this angle, she was pretty much just below dick level, William having shed his grey sweatpants almost as soon as they had gotten home and leaving the goods on display.

Angels like William had to either wear pants or get creative to fit into human society. William had explained that he used magic to make himself more presentable to the public, hiding his family jewels and more or less making the appearance of his sheathe not as pronounced as to keep it PG. Without his illusion technique, he was not extremely lewd, but she did imagine that the sight of someone's furry balls that weren't a dog's could be quite frightening.

She reached up, pressed her palm against the base of his sheathe firmly. William hissed out a breath at the contact, rocking forwards some out of surprise and having to put a hand out to steady himself. Tatiana hummed, squeezing, and felt his rapidly hardening cock through the thin flesh of his natural foreskin. 

"Are you going to let me repay the favor from earlier?" She asked, and William looked debauched from just her words alone. 

A bright flush had turned his cheeks and the bridge of his nose pink, the color deepening the more she palmed his crotch. He wasn't stopping her, so she grew more bold, setting the rest of her protein bar to use both hands to start to urge his sheathe down and bear his cock. He grunted at her motions, humping the air a bit as she fisted him. 

He was hot and heavy in her hand, his intimate skin velvety soft. He had no natural lubricant so she got on her knees to better reach him and licked a hot stripe along the underside of his dick to provide something to make the friction more smooth. 

William panted as she slowly dragged her hand up and down his length, her pace leisurely and her grip firm but not enough to make him bust. Well, not immediately anyway. He was in rut after all. His skin was very sensitive and her touch felt amazing, but he was able to bear down on it and keep his head. She leaned forwards again, nuzzled the inside of his thigh before pressing a kiss to the side of his cock. 

His hips stuttered, her hand having stopped moving as to allow him to choose his own pace, and he rutted into her fist jerkily. It felt amazing, and every now and then she would lick the tip, teasing him, driving him further up the wall. 

William was shaking with the effort to not lose himself completely. He was so close. Just a little bit more and he'd finally have some relief. He'd been hard on and off for the whole day, palming himself to get a small sample of pleasure but never indulging. He hadn't wanted to waste any time pleasuring himself when she was here and she deserved it. She deserved everything. If he could he would have given her the world on a platter.

He was even closer now, thrusts an uneven staccato, soft squelching noises flooding the living room air from her wet fist. She was murmuring to him, soft words and phrases of encouragement that made his eyes want to roll into the back of his head. He was breathing like some sort of feral beast, his pants harsh and too loud in the quiet of their apartment. 

Fuck he wanted to cum. It was right there, and she was so sweetly offering it to him, offering salvation when he still had dues to pay...

William hissed, thrusting one more time before tearing himself out of her grip, the edge of his orgasm burning as he deprived himself the final nudge to experience nirvana. He gripped the couch, the wood frame creaking in protest to his strength, and he breathed harshly through his nose, his balls absolutely aching with denial. 

Tatiana whined as he pulled away. He had been right on the knife's edge, all his tells suggesting he was seconds away from treating her to the show of watching him cum. And then he had moved, canted his hips backwards and out of reach so she could not sabotage his attempts at celibacy.

She pouted. "I can't have any fun?" She asked, and William settled her with a look so smoldering she thought he might devour her whole.

He lunged forwards, kissed her, hard and full of frustration. She moaned into it, let him push her onto her back onto the sofa and crawl on top of her, pinning her down.

"You didn't h-have to stop," she murmured between frantic kisses, William growling. 

"Not yet," he ground out between clenched teeth, sounding ruined and pent up. "Not ready."

"Ready for what, baby?" She nibbled his neck, and he grunted, hips grinding against her, dick sliding along her stomach. He had her hands pinned above her head, so she couldn't reach down to stroke him, much to her dismay.

"You," he gasped. "Don't… deserve. Not yet. Bad at courting…"

Tatiana blinked. 

What?

"You… you're holding back because of me?" She panted and he groaned. 

"No practice…," the alpha continued, still rutting against her. "Gifts bad…"

A strangled whine left his throat and Tatiana wiggled against him, trying to get her hands free. Try as she might, she couldn't shake his grip, and she had to ask him to let go so that she could place her hands on his face and tilt it to look at her. 

"Your gifts aren't bad," she said, breath still labored, body still hot. "I like your gifts."

William closed the distance between their faces, kissing her again, this time long and sloppy. When he pulled away he shook his head, eyes roving her prone form as though she was God's greatest creation. "Gifts bad. Deserve better," he said and she saw an emotion of worry flicker between his eyes before it was consumed by the haze of last once more.

Tatiana was the one shaking her head, ravishing his lips once they were in reach, hungry and desperate for him and his touch. "No, they're aren't," she insisted, licking the back of his teeth, pricking her tongue on his too sharp canines. She tasted blood, bright and coppery. "They're very good, sweetheart. But I want you more." She bit his lip, blunt teeth tugging but not hurting, William sighing out of pleasure as she did. 

"You've been such a sweet boy, baby. You know that? I don't need anymore gifts. I want you."

He whined again, pushing into her touch, ravishing her neck when she tilted her head to the side for him. She felt him shifting, sliding down so that his cock was now rubbing along the top of her pussy as he licked her collarbone. In this position, if she angled her hips right she might be able to get him to slide in. 

She went to do so, to break him out of his self appointed punishment, but he readjusted so that she was once again rutting against her stomach and thwarting any attempts at a sneaky slip.

Damn.

"Want to spoil you," he muttered, and she nuzzled his neck, his lips and teeth still on hers. "Court. Then mount." 

Tatiana threw her head back at the word mount. Fuck, it sounded so primal. She gripped him tighter, squeezed his sides with her legs. 

"Ah- you really want to?" 

" _ Yes. _ "

Tatiana nodded, frantic. "O-okay. Give me as many gifts as you want, sweetheart. Whatever you want." She clawed at his back, nails leaving welts on his skin and the angel.hissed at the abuse, bearing his teeth against her throat. "Just- Just don't make me wait forever, o-okay?"

She stroked his hair, William shuddering against her as he nodded. Once his promise was sealed, she let up on her petting, and William almost sobbed in relief as he was able to try and get his focus back. 

He needed to think. Her scent, thick with arousal, was clouding his senses, a heavy fog making him impatient. He pulled away, to breathe and to will his erection to stop throbbing

She was so tempting. She had no idea. If he wasn't hell bent on courting her properly he would've given in the moment she touched him. 

Tatiana lamented the loss of William's body pressed against her for only a few minutes. Enough time for her to sit up and then for William to pull her to sit between his legs again, his chin resting atop her head. 

The air was still charged from their frantic romping, but both adults were determined to ignore the perfectly rational urge to ravage each other in favor of more tame cuddling. Tatiana nibbled on her energy bar to distract herself from the feeling of William's rock hard cock jutting into her back, his labored breathing loud in her ears. 

Shit. If they stayed like this she wasn't sure they would keep their promise. 

"Do you want kids?" 

She blurted the question out without much thought, cheeks pinking as she processed what she had just said. 

Well, this would either kill his boner and clear their heads, or it would only serve to rile him up further.

She waited for his response, William's arms wrapping around her like two giant snakes. 

"I do," he said after a minute, his breath hitching oh so softly, but she heard it anyway. Another pause before he rounded it back onto her. "Do you?"

Tatiana continued to nibble on her food, growing thoughtful. 

It was a question she had been asked countless times by friends and partners. And she had asked others the same questions oo. But everyone else's answer was always so direct, always a yes or no, with mounting enthusiasm or palpable disgust. 

She had never been able to do that. If she was being logical, her implant was a tick mark towards her not wanting kids, a constant stream of chemical protection she didn't have to think about. On the other hand, her breeding kink laughed right in her face, a dark desire she had never been able to shake and always sent a thrill down her spine. She was torn. Kids were cute, but babies? She had never seen the appeal. And while actually getting pregnant was a turn on, the pregnancy? No, she did not want to blow up like a balloon and inevitably end up in the hospital where pushing the damned thing out would tear her to pieces. Or give her a sizable scar across her abdomen. 

Tatiana had never been sure if her mixed emotions were normal, or if she was just being weird. And, plus, she had never been good at emoting. How would a child take her biting sarcasm and dark humor? Surely they would not be able to decipher her code, see that she loved them.  _ If _ she loved them. She could not forget the possibility of never feeling anything towards her own kid, and she knew first hand what such rejection felt like, what it did, to one's self esteem and self worth.

William's arms tightened around her midsection some more, as though he could sense her troubled mind. She shrugged some, because she wasn't sure. Just like she had always been.

"I don't know," she said. The words sounded too loud, and she shrunk a bit, setting the bar down because her stomach was twisting.

Her boyfriend nuzzled her hair, quiet. His silence didn't help her nerves, and she began to wonder if maybe she should have lied, pretended she knew the answer. Maybe her response would have garnered a better reaction than just blatant silence-

"What if...with me?" 

The additional question was whisper soft as though William was the one who was afraid of upsetting her. Tatiana blinked, shifted some so that she could look up at him.

"With you?"

He nodded. Tatiana watched his face, noticed the faint glimmer of apprehension. She wasn't sure if it was because he was worried she would say no, or if it was because he had said yes and had offended her. 

But for whatever reason, when he asked her if her decision would change if he was involved, it seemed to clear the jumbled mess of thoughts in her head and settle on a definite answer. 

Yes.

She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she loved him, romanticized the idea of commemorating their relationship with a child. Or maybe it was because he was so different from her. William was warm, open. Charming. She was distant, had trouble showing her affection though she felt so much of it sometimes she felt like she might burst. She was abrasive, her mannerisms not the best for making new friends or reassuring people. She was blunt, and he was soft. Maybe if he was the father he could make up for her lacking, be the supportive, soft parent every child needed to balance out her awkwardness. 

She was sure that if she mentioned any of this William would deny it, say she wasn't cold, that she wasn't awkward. But she was. She knew. It was why her previous relationships had puttered out, and why Andrew had been able to manipulate her so.

He called her icy, even though she had wanted nothing more than to please him. Turned her trauma against her and made her feel terrible for not knowing how to express herself, made her turn further inward because when she did try it wasn't good enough. 

Andrew had ruined her worse than her foster parents had, had made her hesitant and perpetually cool to avoid being hurt. 

William didn't know her full story. She kept it under tight ropes. She didn't want him to think she was damaged.

Not when everything was so… perfect.

"Yes," she allowed the word to fall from her lips, for once sure of her answer. Her thoughts on her past were irrelevant right now. All that mattered was the present, and the hypothetical future, which she found herself wanting more and more as the seconds ticked by.

William brightened immensely, the look of worry he had had in his eyes now just a fleeting memory. He nuzzled her, and she felt warmth spread in her chest at his touch, his happy expression emblazoned in her mind. 

She liked when he was happy. Liked it even more when she could trace it back to her, something she had done.

They cuddled for a bit, because Tatiana wanted too, her earlier thoughts making her search out a comforting touch. William was happy to oblige, though he had noticed her rapidly changing emotions and was not entirely sure of what to think of them.

His female was not quiet. She did not stop to think for long stretches of time, and her scent did not sour. But it had for a moment there and William had been terrified.

Had he upset her? Had his answer been too much? He would be lying if he said he did not want children, because he did, but maybe he should have not been so forward. So  _ eager _ . 

He had already gotten so much from her, his female so generous. He should not have turned so greedy, should not have lept at the opportunity to tell her he wanted children, and ideally for them to be theirs. She was probably uncomfortable now, and it was all his fault. 

When she had said she did not know, it only worsened his anxiety. But instead of letting it be, as he probably should, he pushed forwards because curiosity was eating at him. He had to know if it was the idea of having children with him that disturbed her so, or if it was something else. Something he could fix.

He asked her. With him. Would her answer change if it was him? He hoped so, hoped he had not ruined their relationship by being too transparent. 

And her scent had changed almost immediately. Back to its soothing aroma, before dipping, smelling… sad? 

Why was she sad? 

When he looked down at her her gaze was far off, a strange half smile half frown on her lips. She gave a shrug, to herself he was sure, because she was not looking at him, and then her scent changed again, back to normal. 

"Yes." 

The word was simple. Yes. But when he heard it he felt the apprehension in his chest lessen, disappear. Elation was all he could describe because it was a  _ yes.  _ Not a maybe. Not another series of words that suggested as to not being sure. It was just yes, and he had never been happier to hear it than right then.

It was probably his hormones making him so moody, so impulsive, but he didn't care. When he was better under control, when the rut was starting to lessen, he would ask her what she had been thinking about, and unpack any fears or doubts she would have. His courting ritual would surely help, but if she needed to, he would listen, and reassure her with kind words. 

She was the only one for them, and he very much wanted her yes to come to fruition.

Someday.


	19. Patience is Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy late valentines day~

It had been three days since the children question. 

Between then and now, William had presented her with a steady stream of small knickknacks and sweeping, romantic gestures, all for the purpose of winning her over.

Not that he needed too. She was already won.

Tatiana thought it was cute, his efforts. The last few days had cemented that she was terribly in love with him, even more so than she had been originally, and his attempts at securing her affection just made her wonder if it was healthy to want to be the angel's  _ everything _ .

She couldn't remember a time where looking at someone made butterflies fill her stomach, or where hearing them talk made her hang on to every word as though it were religious scripture and she a devote follower. 

But William did. He did all that and more. 

Not even Andrew had made her feel like this, so completely and utterly in love that it  _ hurt _ if she thought about it too long, her heart almost unable to take it.

William nuzzled her neck, drawing her from her thoughts. 

It was late, the angel having woken her up. She had discovered that he didn't sleep when he was in season. He ran off some sort of hidden energy like the Duracell rabbit, never tired, always going, going. 

Usually he let her sleep, content to just rest beside her while she dozed. This time though she still felt tired, which meant she hadn't slept as long as he usually let her. There was no clock in their room for her to check, her phone somewhere on their shared nightstand and charging. She hadn't looked at in days anyway, too wrapped up in what her and William were creating. 

She hummed as she felt his lips press to her neck, his warm, huge frame trapping against their bed and preventing her from escaping. Not that she wanted to. If given a choice, she would gladly lay under him, surrounded by his radiatiing heat and bergamot scent until the day she died. 

William purred in reply to her soft sound of pleasure, kissing her again before dragging his tongue across the junction where her neck and shoulder met. He had been doing that a lot lately, she noticed. She would have to ask him if it was on purpose or just a particular nook he liked to pay attention too. His touch was making her hot though, and after a few minutes her breathing grew more hurried, blood rushing south and making her cunt throb. 

God. It had been days since they had actually had sex. Tatiana was positive this was the longest they had gone without fucking each other senseless. Not to say she hadn't gotten off during the week, because she had. Most definitely. William was as much an attentive lover as he was a tease. But while his fingers and tongue were clever and fantastic she missed the way his cock stretched her open in all the right ways, how perfect he fit inside her from beginning to end. 

She might have to demand he forget about his wooing and just screw her already. She wasn't the one in rut but the denial was driving her crazy.

She panted, whisper soft exhales of breath, and rubbed her cheek along the column of his neck, his skin burning hot against hers face. He was so warm. It felt like he was burning up from the inside, and everytime he touched her he left searing trails in his wake.

"Please tell me you're gonna fuck me soon," she whispered, moaning some as his knee slid between her legs, parting them. She grinded against his furry thigh, chasing relief. 

He huffed, placed one giant hand on her hip to still her and she whined in frustration. 

"No-"

"Baby, I love you. But if you say not yet I'm going to jump you and fuck you myself," Tatiana cut him off, wiggling against his hold. 

He rumbled. "Impatient," he said, but she heard how his voice had dropped, gotten more gravelly. 

She squirmed a bit more before going limp, whimpering sweetly. " _ Please _ , baby."

He growled a bit louder. 

"...One more," he rasped out, and Tatiana wanted to shout hallelujah. 

He kissed her neck again before he disentangled himself from her and getting off the bed. She watched him move through the dark towards their dresser, his hoof-falls quiet thanks to the plush carpet in their bedroom. He rummaged around in the top drawer, his drawer, before finding what he was looking for, and returning to her side.

"Close your eyes," he murmured, and Tatiana did as told.

She felt something cool drape over her neck, slick like metal. It was light though, not heavy, and William's deft fingers fastened it behind her neck before gently straightening it on her collar. He made a noise of approval before saying she could look.

Tatiana opened her eyes, hand reaching for the new jewelry that was on her person. She lifted the chain, noticed a pendant. It was rather large, as though made for someone bigger than her. She rolled over to a puddle of moonlight that had spilled onto their bed from the window, inspecting her latest treasure in the silver lighting.

Here she could see the details, the stone that was the centerpiece of the chain. It glittered, like nothing she had seen before. Flecks of colors, muted by the monochrome of night, danced through its iridescent surface, and she brushed her thumb over it thoughtfully. The chain the stone hung from was impossibly light, but as strong as it was dainty. She couldn't tell what color it was, but it dazzled in the moonlight.

William made the bed dip behind her, and she felt him crawl over her, his lips soon descending on the back of her neck in a gentle kiss. 

"Like?" He asked, and Tatiana nodded.

"Its beautiful…" she murmured. "What is it?"

"Heaven's Eye," William replied against her skin, purring softly. 

"From Heaven?" Tatiana clarified, and William purred louder. She brushed her fingers over the stone again. She probably couldn't see it, since it was so dark, but she imagined the glass like center Heaven's Eye stones were known for, and how all the colors and flecks and pearls would come together in a beautiful ethereal mix. 

"Did you buy this?" She asked, suddenly remembering that the stone in her hands was expensive. Heaven's Eye was only found in Heaven. The few amounts imported each year were ridiculously valuable, and the one she was holding was large, almost the size of her palm, meaning it would not have been a cheap purchase. 

William shifted behind her, planting his knees more squarely on either side of her hips and grinding against her ass. 

"Was… mother's," he huffed, distracted. 

His mothers?

Tatiana twisted to look at him. "This was your mom's?"

"Yes."

Tatiana swallowed. "Is… is she-?"

That seemed to clear his head a little bit. "Not dead," he clarified. "In Heaven."

"Oh…" Tatiana sighed in relief. That was bullet dodged. William grinded against her again and she allowed herself to push back into it this time, no longer worried about having to have a talk about her boyfriend's dead mom. As he hissed through his teeth at her teasing, she smirked.

"Well, I love it." Tatiana dropped her voice a little, admiring the stone for a moment again. "This… this means a lot."

William kissed her neck again. "Wanted you to have it. Deserve it." 

Tatiana smiled, reached back and stroked his hair. "Thank you, sweetheart." She brought the stone to her lips, kissed it gently. "...I'll never take it off."

Wiliam grinded into her hard at her declaration, and Tatiana could feel his cock sliding against the cleft of her ass. She gasped. 

"Promise?" 

The question was growled out between clenched teeth, voice sounding strained to her ears, like he was holding himself back. Tatiana found her breath was hard to catch after that, the room suddenly very very warm and the blood that should be going to her head to facilitate thinking once again rushing south and making her all sorts of tingly. 

"I-I promise," she answered, because it was true. She was never going to take this necklace off. It was a part of her now as far as she was concerned, an extra, natural limb she hadn't known she had missed until he had put it on her. 

William's growl turned thunderous, and she flinched a bit at the volume, shudders of excitement racing down her spine, making her curl her toes. Her pussy practically gushed at the noise, wetness making the sheets under her feel slick, stick to her legs. Lastly she moaned, because, fuck, what else was she supposed to do when he did that? 

"Good," was his ominous reply, before he was in her ear, tongue licking the shell. "No more waiting."

XxX

He had been so patient the last few days, sticking to his plan and putting his efforts into courting her as he had promised to do. 

His darling female had been receptive to all of his gifts and gestures, ever grateful for his demonstrations of his devotion. He was pleased she was pleased, and he had indulged her heartily by making sure she was pleasured in between rounds of wowing her with his cooking and well thought out trinkets. 

He had planned on giving her his mother's necklace in the morning, when she could properly see its beautiful coloring and patterns. But he had grown impatient, resistance broken-down by her  _ begging _ , pleading, and he for once was unable to make himself wait any longer or deny her. 

It was worth it, he mused. She was enamored with his mother's necklace, said she would never take it off. It was better than he could have imagined. And now that he had given her his last gift, and she liked it so, he could now finally give in to desire, and finally make her his. 

He bit the back of her neck, drawing a gasp from her pretty lips. His jaw ached, the urge to bite down harder strong, but he eventually redirected his focus, rubbed his chin along her shoulder as he slipped a hand under her stomach and pulled her hips upwards. 

Now she was properly presenting, her chest still on the bed but her ass in the air. He reared up, sat back behind her and urged her legs apart so that he could nestle between them, give him access to her dripping pussy. 

He bucked his hips upwards, groaned when he felt the head of his cock slide along her sex, eliciting a moan from his partner. 

Oh, it had been too long. Too long. 

He couldn't wait any longer. He had already gone almost a week without being inside her, the longest they had ever gone. 

Maybe later he would draw it out, tease her a bit with steamy foreplay. But now… now he just had to get inside of her, feel her clench down on him like she always did, let her work him into such a frenzy he couldn't control his volume and wake the neighbors with their lovemaking.

He scooted closer, rubbed himself against her pussy one more time before lining himself up and pressing forwards. One hand held her hip, holding her still, and the other pushed down between her shoulder blades as he bottomed out, pressing her further into the mattress. 

It felt so good he couldn't help but shout a bit as she took him to the hilt, overwhelmed and overestimated. He was shaking as he stilled his hips, breath coming in ragged pants that made his throat hurt. Everything felt good, but tight. The coil in his stomach, his females blessed snatch… too good, too tight. 

Tatiana whimpered under him, tilting her hips a bit more and driving him even deeper. He was pressed up against her cervix, he was sure, but she just groaned, muttered into the sheets about how much she had  _ missed _ him. 

Fuck. She was going to be the death of him.

He bent forwards, put his arms under her and grabbed the meat on the inside of her thighs. He slotted his fingers in the junction where her thigh connected to her pelvis, holding her, before slowly pulling dragging his hips backwards. 

They both shared a long drawn out moan at the friction. Tat's pussy was like vice, unwilling to let go, and William's cock was twitching in excitement. Combined it was a powder keg of sensations, each partner feeling off one another. William wasn't sure how long he would last, but then again he didn't really care right then. He was so pent up he was trembling, and his female had been begging him all week to give into her siren temptation.

His thrusts were slow and steady, the pleasure mounting quickly despite his pace. Tatiana was whining, singing his praises under breathy moans. He kissed her shoulders, her neck. His teeth kept going back to her nape, wanting to bite, but he resisted each time, settling for another kiss or something other.

He was so close. His orgasm was rapidly approaching and this time he didn't have to hold back. His female's fingers were digging into his thigh that he had brought forwards a bit more to deepen his thrusting, hoof planted into the mattress for more leverage. She was pulling on his fur, begging him to not stop, to finally cum in her. 

Oh, fuck, what he wouldn't give to not have his vasectomy right then. He'd grant her wish and then some, pump her so full the knot wouldn't be able to keep it all in...

His orgasm snuck up on him while he was distracted, making him shout in surprise. He squirmed, rutting against her in short, desperate strokes, instinct telling him to get even deeper then he already was. Tatiana was trembling in his hands, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was trying to bury himself in her or if she had cum too. Either way, his knot was swelling, and he enjoyed the few seconds where he could pop it in and out of her willing body before settling, letting it swell to completion and tie them together.

His heart was racing, his limbs loose. His mind was a little clearer too, the fog of rut clearing away and granting him clarity. 

He licked her shoulder, purring softly. Tatiana offered a soft sound in reply. 

"Hurt?" He asked. He had meant to be gentle. He hoped he hadn't accidentally harmed her during his lapse of control.

Thankfully, she shook her head no. "Just… its been a while," she answered. "Missed your knot."

William growled in approval, rocking his hips again as a reward. She moaned loudly, shifting so that her legs were spread even further apart before settling again, William still throbbing inside her. 

They were granted a short break, William's head clearing. He was able to think while they were tied, his hands rubbing soothing circles along her spine in a massage as he pondered on things he had neglected for most of the week. Like food. He hadn't eaten in days despite her efforts to change that, and he was kind of hungry the more he let the idea roll around his head. And it felt nice, the clarity, but the rut was like a persistent itch. It hadn't disappeared. It was still lingering in the back of his head, the need to scratch said itch slowly returning, growing more and more persistent until he felt himself start to get impatient with their current position even though it had only been a dozen or so minutes.

He pulled back, his knot deflated enough where he could slip out. His female gave a noise of surprise at the sudden departure and he may or may not have told her why before he was pushing her over onto her back and slipping back in, her legs wrapping around his waist. He couldn't be sure though. The fog in his brain was back full force and he wasn't fighting it any more. All he wanted was her and her sweet noises and her tight warmth that gripped him in  _ all _ the right ways. 

He dipped his head, kissing her sloppily, as he started moving again, her nails dragging over his shoulders.

XxX

He fucked her multiple times, the ruts grip on his thoughts ebbing and flowing like the tide in time with his orgasms. His bitch was pliant beneath him, eager to please and he  _ loved  _ it, loved how she just came apart in his hands but at the same time whispered sweet words of encouragement, gripped his legs and arms and kept him from pulling out. It was like she was meant for it, her entire purpose centered around helping him and it drove him crazy. 

He kept going until her body started to flag. She was still into it, but he didn't miss how she would wince or stiffen under him, how her wetness got less slick and instead turned more tacky. She whimpered when he pulled away, protesting, but he shushed her, reaching into the drawer of the bedside table and pulling out one of the many bottles of lube he had stocked up on. He broke the seal, poured it liberally over his fingers. He had eight bottles, he didn't care how much he used. Some of it fell onto the bed, ran down his arm. When he was satisfied he eased his slick fingers into her, kissed her stomach as she wiggled against the intrusion that was not unwelcome but painful. 

He knew it was working she she relaxed, her muscles going slack and her hips pushing into his hands again, ever mindful of his claws. The lube had a numbing agent in it, perfect for situations like this. He had been using it for years, always made sure he had more than enough because chafe was a bitch. It was enough to dull the pain of sensitive skin, but not block pleasure completely. 

He took his time, only replacing his fingers with his cock again when she asked him too, more lube added to keep her comfortable. 

Tat had lost track of time. She didn't know what time it was exactly, but the sun was up now, and a slit of early sunlight was stabbing her right in the eye from her position on the bed. 

She was tired. They had been going at it for a while now. Her lack of sleep paired with William's sex drive wasn't a good combination, but she could live with that. It was the discomfort she couldn't, the pain from constant fucking quickly growing unbearable even with William's special lube. It had started as a burn, and now it was sharp, stabbing, even though William wasn't pounding into her like a beast with no abandon. His thrusts were gentle and slow, but her body wasn't built for extended sessions like this. 

She was frustrated, because she had been  _ waiting _ for this, but now that it was actually happening her body couldn't keep up. Tatiana supposed she was tired even faster now because throughout the week he had been pleasuring her, slowly wearing down her stamina over the course of several days.

Whatever the reason, she knew she couldn't keep going. She needed a break. Well, her pussy did at least. 

When he slipped out of her again, hands urging her to roll over, she asked if she could have a moment. William agreed, because he was William, and she dug through her own bedside table drawer in search of a small spray bottle. 

She found it, opened her mouth and sprayed the back of her throat several times. She then motioned for William to get off the bed and stand on her side, where she lay back down with her head just barely hanging off the edge and opened her mouth in an invitation to serve him orally.

Tatiana had a shit gag reflex. Try as she might she couldn't change it. Only numbing sprays made it possible to take her partners deeper if they so wished, but she didn't do it often.

She had never tried it with William. He seemed more comfortable giving head than receiving it, and her thoughts were confirmed when he tilted his head at her, thumb brushing her throat in a silent question of her sure-ness. She just nodded, and only after she had confirmed with him did he actually take her offer, and slide into her mouth. 

She hummed, the sensation of his cock filling her mouth unfamiliar but not unwanted. She relaxed her jaw, and he pushed in deeper, laying a hand on her throat. The taste of the lube they had been using was oddly fruity and artificial on her tongue, made it tingle as its numbing agent did its job. William, however, seemed to be testing the waters, not wanting to go too far if she wasn't ready, and she didn't make a peep of protest while he did so. 

She could feel him moving, but there was no pain, no urge to gag as the head of his cock breached the back of her throat. His hand pressed down a bit more and he murmured something she didn't quite catch, but she was sure it was a compliment. 

She held her breath, getting satisfaction over having found a way to still be useful as William oh so gently used her mouth. 

His thrusts were shallow, and not as punishing as she had received from others in the past, but her lungs inevitably started to burn and she reached up to tap his hand to let him know she needed air. As she was about to touch him, he flicked his own wrist, and she suddenly felt air fill her lungs. 

She could breathe? 

She tested the idea and was surprised. Magic could do that? 

"I got you," William's voice trickled down to her, all sex and sweetness. She let her eyes roll back into her head, moaning around him.

He always had her. The man never let her down.

His thumb flicked over the bulge of his cock down her throat, soft swipes that would have tickled if she wasn't so horny. "Such a good bitch," he rumbled above her, and she moaned again because fuck, they both had a praise kink and she absolutely came undone whenever he complimented her. She reached up, put her hands in his ass and pushed him forwards a little more. He bottomed out, groaning, and she felt a thrill of pride shoot through her at the feat.

William trembled, little tremors making his frame shiver. He kept petting her throat, soft sounds escaping him and that's when Tatiana made the connection that he was using the motion of his thumb catching the head of his dick through her throat to get off. 

Creative fucker. 

She pressed her tongue along the underside of his length, swallowed around him. He hissed, quivering even more, before she felt him pulse inside her mouth, aftershocks making him dance in place minutely. She purred, which drove him even more mad, and swallowed again because she didn't have to worry about the taste of jizz ruining the moment. Not that it mattered. He was so far down her throat that even if he wasn't clipped she wouldn't have been able to taste it. 

He pulled away, fisting himself to mimic the feeling of knotting her, and to lightly tap her cheek with his dick like a congratulatory pat. Tatiana smirked. That was new. Will didn't usually do a sound check while they were having sex. It was stupid and silly, but she was fond of it anyway.

He fucked her throat a few more times, because she offered it, but eventually even that was a no go. Her neck hurt, and her throat felt dry after being misused repeatedly. She could already feel the swelling when she swallowed her own spit, which scratched her esophagus on the way down. She wasn't going to be able to talk for a while after this.

Thoroughly out of options (neither of them were into anal) William suggested she go take a bath. She was sore and achey, and the steam from the bath would soothe her throat, at least a little. Tatiana agreed, though she wished she didn't have to put a stop to it. It felt like they had just gotten started after a week of tense buildup. 

Oh, she was going to be pissed if she was out of commission. William had put all that effort into it, and she wanted to fucking participate, dammit.

Tatiana sighed, settling in the tub. The hot water was nice, her muscles relaxing. She took a moment to wash her hair while she soaked, then leaned back to let the water cover her shoulders and release the tension. 

The bath was new. 

Tatiana had been confused at first when William had offered the idea of a soak, since they didn't have a bath. But upon entering the bathroom, she had seen that William had changed it, adding a claw foot tub for their use.

Again, magic was a great asset to have. She was jealous she didn't have such a handy skill at her disposal. William had been pretty liberal with it since discovering her appreciation of his underused talent, and she was getting used to things randomly changing around their home, but sometimes it still caught her off guard. 

She blew bubbles into the water, thinking.

The blow job thing had been new too. She shouldn't have been surprised that he could do something so simple as make her breathe while he was 10 inches down her throat, but she hadn't been expecting it. So far Williams magic had focused on illusions or manifestation of items, like the new decor and the tub she was currently resting in. He hadn't done much magic on himself, or her, save for the throat thing.

It made her wonder though. If he was talented in illusions, but also apparently could make her body do things that went against nature… what doors did that open up? And how big was his ring of influence if those doors were indeed open?

Tatiana hummed, eyes sliding over to the door as it opened and William slipped inside. He approached, a hand carding through her damp hair when he reached her while the other stroked himself. She sat up, leaned over the lip of the tub and nuzzled the scar on his thigh. 

"Missed me?" She asked, the answering nudge on her head to press her face harder against his thigh telling her all she needed to know. 

She smirked, licked the strip of scarred flesh within her reach and watched as William stroked himself harder, muscles trembling in exertion. It didn't take long for him to finish, twitching and gasping softly, his knot swelling in his fist. She was kind of disappointed said knot wasn't inside her, and even more disappointed that there was no cumshot to wipe off her tits. The vasectomy he had was a blessing and a curse in that aspect. 

Maybe he'd get it reversed. There had to be a doctor that would let them, even though he was an angel and they weren't married. 

Tatiana stroked his fur, humming at the thought.

Though, if he asked her, she would say yes without hesitation. She would do anything for him, and it served to scare and thrill her at the same time.

William huffed, spent, and she looked up at him as his fingers curled under her chin. His thumb stroked her cheek and she smiled. "Better?"

"For now," he said, voice soft. She leaned into his petting. 

"I have a question," Tatiana continued. He kept stroking her cheek, and she let her eyes flutter shut. Mmm, it felt good. 

"Yes?"

"It's about your magic. Your… wonderful magic."

"Hm," William chuckled, and her lips curled up at the corners again. 

"I was wondering... You're good at illusions. Like, really good. Is there any chance you could… I dunno. Make a scene?"

William made a noise of inquiry, thumb slowing its petting. 

"Don't understand," he said, and Tatiana supposed that was fair. Her question was pretty vague. 

She pulled away, looked up at him. "What I mean is… is there any, I dunno, fantasies you wanted to play out? Like, could you render a scene with your magic to make it seem like we're actually there?" 

"Fantasy?" William looked thoughtful for a moment. His eyes found hers again shortly after. "Do you?"

Tatiana shrugged, but her blush gave her away. "A few," she admitted, but only after William had reached for her and dragged his thumb over her lips in a gentle gesture of encouragement to speak.

She made eye contact with him again, saw the swirling curiosity and desire darkening his gaze as they stared at one another. Her throat suddenly felt dry, and she swallowed thickly as she worked up the courage to tell him.

"You know our neighbors?" She asked, the words passing her lips in a stuttered exhale. William gripped her chin gently, tilted her head up a bit more so she couldn't get bashful and look away. Her tongue darted out, wet her lips. William's eyes followed the movement, his claws pricking the tender skin on her throat as his fingers twitched.

"I kinda… well…"

"You want them to see?" He finished for her and her face flushed. From shame or arousal, she wasn't sure. But the idea made her body tingle, and she leaned further into his hold.

"Y-yeah."

Tatiana was a private person. She kept things to herself, and was a trusted ear for people who felt the need to overshare. But something about the idea of their neighbors seeing her get absolutely railed,  **_owned_ ** , by her massive boyfriend made her brain feel giddy. She wanted them to see just how good he gave it to her, how she took him to the hilt no matter what hole he was fucking. She wanted to feel their eyes on them, and she wanted to see if William was cool and collected, or if their stares made him possessive. 

She was a shameless slut for that shit. When William gave in to the more primal part of himself and growled, snarled, or purred she went insane. It was so hot, the fact that he couldn't always control the noises that slipped out. She loved it and his rut was a fucking treasure trove of instances where she had been treated to the delights that were his alpha slipping, material committed to memory to get wet over later when her precious William was not as eager to make pretty noises. Not to mention the whole incident at the grocery store. Jesus, that had been a fucking trip right there. She had been soaked enough to slip and slide the whole way home after the whole debacle with the omega angel. 

So yes, she very much wanted to traumatize her neighbors for the sake of getting William to rumble sweetly in her ear. But she didn't want to have to avoid eye contact with them either, nor did she want to make William uncomfortable. He was pretty flexible in his rut, but they hadn't talked about this before now. She would understand if he said no outright even if it was imaginary, or if his magic just didn't go that far.

But judging by the look he was giving her, she didn't think she had to worry about either. 

"Better idea," he hummed, and Tatiana shivered as his hand let go of her chin, slid itself along her jaw to the back of her head where he gripped her hair and tugged her head back gently to expose her throat.

"Oh?" 

William nodded, claws gently scratching her scalp. He pulled away after a moment and moved to leave the bathroom. "When done," he said, gesturing towards the door. Tatiana perked, tilting her head, and she thought she saw him smirk before he left the room entirely. 

Well, if that wasn't ominous she didn't know what was. Tremors made her frame shake slightly as she rinsed her hair in preparation to leave the tub, not sure what she would find outside the bathroom when she left.

But William hadn't disappointed before. Whatever plan he had up his sleeve she was sure to enjoy.


	20. Illusion Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, William specializes in illusion magic and arcane fire magic.

When Tatiana stepped out of the bathroom, she nearly screamed and ran back inside. 

Where her living room had been before, now stood a grand dining hall, complete with an ornate set of chandeliers and opulent carpet that ran the length of the massive wooden table. The house didn't look like anything it had before, the visual presented making her think that maybe she had been accidentally transported to some sort of castle. And she may have believed it, if William hadn't been standing just outside the bathroom, offering her one of his hands to hold while the other palmed at his ever persistent erection.

She took his hand, allowing herself to snuggle into his side, eyes still taking in the grand illusion. "What is this place?" She asked, unable to hide the awe that wove into her tone.

William didn't give her a definite answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and guided her towards the table. 

Tatiana reached out to touch the lacquered surface of the table, fingers meeting its cool surface. She marveled at it, the fact that she could get sensations from an illusion. It boggled her mind, and she let go of William's hand to further inspect the tabletop.

"This is so detailed," she murmured, able to see the grain from the wood, and even the faint threads of gold that seemed to weave through the fibers of the wood itself. William hummed behind her.

" **From memory** ," he supplied.

Memory? So, he had been to this sort of place before?

"Back in Heaven?" Tatiana had to assume. She didn't know of any places on earth that felt this… opulent. Even the Queen's digs were not this laden in riches, from what she had seen in magazines and whatnot. She could be wrong though. Her lifestyle was comfortable, thanks to her job, but she was not filthy rich as this place suggested so she would never really know the scope of how luxurious things could be.

William touched her hip, his hot palm rubbing against her skin lazily. " **Yes** ," he said, and Tatiana pressed into his touch.

"Didn't picture you for fancy," she mused, teasingly. "Thought you were a country boy?" 

William low growl was very much in her ear at that, the angel having caged her against the table and grinding against her ass. He clicked his teeth, and she shivered, fingers gripping the edge of the table in a bid to keep her sanity.

"Mmmm, okay, okay," she panted, because her brain all but melted whenever he growled at her. She reached back and stroked his stomach in apology. "Country boy it is."

William's staccato growl softened, and he nuzzled her neck. Soon, his tongue was licking at her shoulder, and she sucked in a breath as she felt herself get wet. 

Great. Now he had Pavlov conditioned her to fucking gush whenever he licked her shoulder. She was really going to have to ask him why he kept doing that at some point. It was starting to feel intimate, like, he wanted to do something, but wouldn't or couldn't tell her what. She didn't know why, but that was just the feeling her gut was telling her.

Tatiana rolled her hips, pressing her ass harder against the dick sliding between her cheeks. William huffed, rutting against her for a second before his hands were on her hips, and he was lifting her onto the table. 

Tatiana squeaked, the table cold against her bare skin. She turned over so that she could face William, and to her surprise he was crawling up onto the table too. 

"What-" she began, face pinking. William cut her off, crashing his lips to hers as he pinned her to the table and kissed her like his life depended on it.

She knew it wasn't real, but she couldn't help but feel some shame at doing this. The scene was obviously crafted to suggest that the place they were in was one where people of importance gathered, and that they definitely shouldn't be dicking around on top of it. But the shame felt… good. Tatiana wasn't entirely sure how to explain it. It was wrong, but wrong in a way where even though she felt kind of uncomfortable, she didn't want to stop.

Especially when William was pinning her down like this, tongue halfway down her throat. 

They kept kissing and Tatiana got so lost in it she didn't notice the scene was changing until she had to break away from his lips to breath, turning her head slightly so that William could kiss on her neck while she got oxygen back into her lungs. 

Her eyes drifted from a point on his shoulder to beside them, and she jolted in surprise when someone sat down at the place setting that had appeared out of nowhere directly across from them.

"Um… Will?"

Her eyes darted about, and she noticed that it wasn't just the one person who had manifested. There were others, including waitstaff that were quietly moving about pouring wine and completely unphased by the angel and his girlfriend sprawled all over their dinner table. Even the guests eating didn't seem to care that they were their, their gazes staring through her rather than at her if she made eye contact. 

William purred. 

" **You wanted an audience** ," his raspy voice teased, and she shivered. 

"Well, yeah, but-" This was a lot of people. Well, angels. Now that she got a better look they were definitely angels. "Are you sure-"

" **I want them to see** ," William rumbled, and she bit her lip, any further protests she had dying on her lips. William's hands were stroking her thighs, gentle touches before he was pushing her knees to her chest and rearing backwards. He slid the head of his cock against her slit, the underside rubbing her clit just enough to send little jolts of pleasure up into her belly. She stared up at him, and noted the change in his expression. This scene was definitely doing things to him, and she was curious to find out just exactly what. 

"Okay," she said, because fuck. She would do anything just to see more of this even if it meant getting fucked in front of a bunch of strangers. She hadn't expected this level of voyeur, but she was quickly becoming okay with it.

She glanced over again at the nearest patron who was sipping soup without a care in the world and smirked. When her gaze settled back on him, William's attention had gone laser focus, as though aware she was about to do something that was going to set him off. 

He wasn't disappointed. 

"Let's give them a show then," she said, her breath coming in quick little pants. She gripped one of his wrists that was still pressing her in half, unable to move given her position but laying down heavy eye contact instead. 

"I want you to breed me, baby," she all but moaned. "Can you do that? Can you put your pups in me, in front of all these people?"

William's pupils blew at her words, and she knew she was in for it. Tatiana didn't have even a second to prepare herself before he was inside her, bottoming out in one harsh stroke that had her toes curling and her back straining to arch off the table.

"Fuck!"

William growled in reply, and set a pace that was no longer gentle but rough and punishing. Tatiana couldn't do much but just lay there and take it, practically seeing stars every time his hips thrust forward. 

It was all the angle. It was borderline too much, the tilt of her hips making everything more compact and making William feel like he was twice the size normally. Tatiana usually didn't have a problem taking him, but she was definitely on the thin edge of telling him it was too deep. Not that she ever would, but she knew she was definitely going to be feeling him in her guts for a while after this.

William's hooves scrambled against the table, his knees sliding a bit due to the slick surface they were on. His balls were slapping against her ass, loud an obscene and Tat cried out in ecstacy and the fact that, fuck, they were really doing this.

"Fuck baby, give it to me!" She mewled, and William growled between hard snaps of his hips.

He shifted again, let go of her knees so that she could lower her legs and wrap them around his waist. His mouth assaulted her neck, bit and kissed and sucked hickey's into the tender skin that hurt so, so good in the moment it made her toes curl and her eyes roll back into her head. 

She panted, because damn if this wasn't hot, and clawed at his back. "You feel so good," she whined, squeezing her sore pussy down on him. William keened loudly at the extra friction, rutted into her even harder. 

The illusions next to them switched courses, their soups being replaced with clean chargers and the table Tatiana was so pleasantly getting screwed on getting laden down with all sorts of exotic dishes. She watched as some sort of whole roasted… creature was placed right next to them, and William snapped his attention to it like it had personally offended him. 

His hand darted out, slapped the dish off the table and onto an illusions lap. It had the audacity to gasp, and Tatiana groaned. 

Shit this was detailed. He had even thought about giving the people voices?

She was definitely impressed.

Tatiana bit her lip as William sat up and pulled out of her. The rough exit made her hiss, but William was soon urging her onto her hands and knees. When she did roll over, and went to drop down into the proper presenting position, his hands were urging her up into a kneeling stance instead, and he pressed up against her from behind.

His hand wrapped around her throat, tilted her head back so that he could look directly into her eyes as he reentered her. She gasped, leaned back into him as he thrusted into her in short, rapid strokes and his gaze never wavered from hers.

" **So good for me…** " he murred, and suddenly she was cumming. 

She hadn't even realized she had been riding the edge, his thrusts so deep and her pussy so oversensitized that she hadn't been able to pick out the mounting pleasure from the pain until the proverbial string had snapped and she was _gushin_ g over his cock and onto the table below. 

William's gaze darkened even further, if that was possible, at the sight of her clear fluids dripping off his cock, and she saw his grit his teeth from under her lashes.

His hand let go of her throat, instead grabbed one of her breasts while his mouth sought out her shoulder where she felt his teeth graze the skin as he had done countless times before. 

Something told her to hold him there, to press into his teeth. She did so, hesitantly, and William groaned, jaws opening, his teeth pricking the skin under them in a gentle bite. She felt his jaw tremble though, as though wishing to bite down harder and not being able too. 

She didn't really have time to think on it, his knot suddenly pushing its way into her and demanding her attention. She spread her legs a bit more, gave him more room, and groaned loudly when it popped into place. He removed his teeth from her skin, panted in her ear. Her legs trembled, her knees hurting from kneeling upright, and she let herself fall rewards so that she could rest her weight on her hands too, William stroking her back as she now knelt on all fours. 

Her cheeks were warm as she panted, staring at her reflection in the glossy surface of the table. The illusion was still going, the patrons around the table still acting their roles. It served to keep her arousal going, kept her warm and tingly even as William's knot stretched her in a way that wasn't as pleasant as it had been at the start.

She lifted her head, stared down the length of the table to the very end, where someone was materializing at the empty seat. She squinted, trying to get a good look. She hadn't seen William actually do any of what was around her, and her curiosity at the process was piqued. 

A figure was coming into existence, hazy and smoky, but solid in areas where the person's details were solidified. An entire clothed torso and hands formed, hands folded neatly across the table in front of them. Tatiana waited for the head to form next, but the smoke stopped suddenly, and William was growling from behind her. 

She twisted to look at him because this growl did not sound like the others she had grown used to. This one sounded actually mad, and her prey instinct didn't appreciate having her back to such a sound. 

Her eyes found William's face and he was staring off in the direction she had been. His lips were curled in a snarl, and his hand came up and swiped at the air. She turned to look back at the figure at the head of the table, and saw that it was gone, the smoke that had been present around its incomplete shape wafting in great dissipating clouds as the spell was hastily retracted. She tilted her head, and she felt William rest his hand back on her hip.

"You… you okay?" She asked, turning to face him again. She looked at his hand, noted it was trembling. She pursed her lips in concern.

" **Bad thought** ," her boyfriend rasped, and she looked up at him. His expression was tight, as though whatever, or whomever, he had been summoning had brought up bad memories. 

Hm.

He was still shaking, arm still wobbling with fine, but intense, tremors. She reached behind her, petted his thigh. He let out a soft snort at the touch, but the shaking continued. 

Well, whatever had happened had put him in a bad headspace. She wasn't sure who that person was that he had stopped from forming, but it ultimately didn't matter. She was more worried about him and his volatile reaction to said person. 

The woman waited out the knot, petting him while she did, and when he slipped out she turned over. "Come here," she coaxed, and William slipped into her embrace without protest. 

She stroked his hair, holding him as his shaking slowly dispersed. The illusion melted away too, putting them both back into their house, atop some of the many pillows that scattered across the floor. A hesitant purr had started to sneak out of William's chest as she pressed kisses to his neck, shoulder. 

"I think it's time you laid down," she said. He sagged against her at her suggestion. 

" **Tired** ," the alpha admitted, the word coming out with a drawn out exhale. Tatiana nodded. 

"Me too. We can snuggle. How does that sound good?"

He groaned, and she smiled, nuzzling into his neck. She urged him upwards after, guided him to the bedroom. They fell asleep as soon as they hit the mattress.

  
  


XxX

  
  


"I want you to chase me," Tat panted, voice ragged as William's tongue wreaked havoc on one of her nipples. 

The angel paused in his movements, lifting his head and tilting it.

It had only been a few hours since their last session. William had actually slept for a bit before waking up and immediately focusing his attention on his partner. Tat was only just starting to really come out of the foggy haze of sleep when the idea of a little primal play struck her and she voiced it aloud. 

" **Chase?** " The alpha echoed, and Tatiana bit her lip, nodding.

"Yeah." She sat up, nuzzled his chest. "Don't you ever just wanna… let go?" 

She wasn't sure how to explain it. She was all for regular degular bedroom activities, but her tastes had always somehow managed to stray outside the box. Primal play was one of those things. 

She liked tapping into those baser instincts all humans tried to vainly say they didn't have, but when push came to shove came out. She liked not having to talk, just chirps and growls to get the point across. It was one of the reasons why she went absolutely feral any time William made a pretty noise, be it his purring or his chuffing. 

She had done chase scenes before, with one of her partners in the past, but she had always sort of felt as though those scenes were lacking a little extra spice. She wondered now if it was because she had done them with a human partner, who had been stronger and larger than her, but he had lacked any sense of being a dangerous predator. 

William, on the other hand, was definitely ticking boxes. Humans were tame in comparison to an angel, and an alpha one at that. Her sweet William was unendingly gentle, but she had seen glimpses of how feral he could be and she wanted to be on the receiving end of that predatory ferocity. She didn't want him to leash his instincts any more and cater to her human society, just like she was tired of having to play a simpering female who didn't like to bear her teeth. 

Tatiana nuzzled him again, looked up. "I want you to have to catch me," she purred, and watched as his eyes darkened with lust. She smirked, all teeth. "I want you to pin me down and fuck me in the woods, like a beast hunting its prey. Doesn't that sound fun?"

It did. 

William hadn't known exactly what she was talking about at first until she had described what she wanted, and when the pieces clicked he felt his already heated blood start to boil with new intensity.

She wanted him to be an alpha. 

It sounded silly out loud, but William was soon trembling with the knowledge of the permission she was handing him.

He was a good alpha, well tempered and tame. He didn't let things get to him and maintained a comfortable approachable air about his person. He was good because his personality laid the foundation for him to be able to adapt and be amicable even with the status of an alpha next to his gender, unlike some others who gave alphas a bad name for being too aggressive. But what she was proposing was to abandon his niceties and be fully alpha, to stop leashing his instincts and let go.

In a way, it was terrifying. He had never let himself let go. He had always tried to maintain some form of control because he didn't want to be seen as a mindless beast. Humans were timid creatures, and they would take any excuse to lash out in fear.

On the other hand, his rising levels of excitement made his spine tingle, a deep yearning unfurling in his chest. 

She wasn't done yet. She ran her hands up and down his sides, then between his legs, one hand cupping his balls while the other teased his dick. "I read somewhere that Angels used to chase their partners; that it was part of the courting process. That's why you guys have heats. You used to be so… _feral._ Running each other down to prove your worth."

  
  


Her words were salacious and heated, her gaze aflame with desire. It took everything in him to not pounce on her right then and there. She gave his sack a squeeze, and a keen tumbled from his lips. 

What did he do? The alpha very much wanted to give in to her suggestion, to stop holding himself back. But she was human, and Angels were so very different.

What if he scared her? What if she didn't like what she saw, how he acted when he wasn't held together by society's standards?

" **Don't want to… scare,** " he finally managed to get out, his ability to talk slowly slipping the more he entertained her idea. Tatiana cooed at him and his worry, and she nuzzled his stomach, having pushed him to rest back on his haunches at some point. He could feel her breath ghosting the head of his wanting cock, and he bit back the groan that wanted to escape.

"You don't scare me," she said, gentle. Her lips trailed down his abdomen, drifted to the side to kiss his hip bones. He trembled under her touch. "You don't have to hide this part of yourself. I want to meet all of you." 

She looked up at him, eyes hooded, but her gaze more warm with affection than lust. William felt his breath catch in his throat. 

"I think you're beautiful," she murmured. "Even if you don't."

William swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, a soft whimper trickling out from his mouth. She smiled up at him before dropping her gaze to press more kisses to his midsection, and give William time to think about her offer.

The alpha turned to the more evolved side of his brain, the one that thought with logic rather than emotion, for the answer.

It came surprisingly easy.

Tatiana was busy licking a path across her boyfriend's cut abs when a hand was suddenly on the back of her neck, pulling her away. She was pushed onto her back and William was on top of her. She smirked, liking the look in his eyes, the way his pupils had blown to the size of saucers.

" **Two minutes,** " William rumbled, voice so full of gravel and timbre that Tatiana felt herself shiver in reaction. 

She gaped like a fish for a moment, brain trying to find an appropriate way to answer. Around her, the room shifted, and disappeared, William's magic suddenly at work. 

The bed disappeared beneath them, and instead was replaced with cool, moist moss, a forest of tall sycamore trees taking root and surrounding them from all sides. Her breath fogged in front of her, the air suddenly crisp and cold and she shuddered. 

His magic was so lifelike, she had to keep reminding herself it wasn't real.

A low growl dragged her attention away from the changing scenery and back to her boyfriend. Only when she looked at him, his gaze had shifted, and she no longer felt desire, but rather a prey like instinct to _flee._

He was staring at her, shoulders hunched like a cat ready to pounce, pupils pinpricks against the backdrop of his duo colored eyes as adrenaline over the situation kicked in. She could feel her own rising, her heart pounding against her chest like a scared rabbit while her arms tingled with the anticipation of the chase.

She scooted backwards, the moss below her slippery and wet against her bare ass. William bared his teeth in a feral smile, and she noticed how his fangs seemed to glint in the early morning light that was peeking through the trees above. 

Were they always that large? She couldn't remember and the adrenaline hit harder, her breath coming out in short pants. 

" **Run.** "

It was not a question. It was a demand. 

Tatiana scrambled backwards, let her hind brain take over as she scurried to her feet and booked it. She knew she wasn't in any real danger, but the urge to get away was strong, and she was not going to deny it. 

She picked a direction and went with it disappearing into the dense forest and leaving her boyfriend to wait until his self appointed time was up and he could give chase.

Which was much harder now that the whole thing was in motion.

William felt like he was on a razor's edge, like a livewire was dancing along his nerves under his skin, lighting him up. 

The thrill of being in control was a relished flavor. William had never been terribly bossy in the bedroom. He catered. He did not get catered too. So for her to give him complete control, complete freedom? 

Oh, it was amazing.

He shifted his weight some, down in a crouch and staring off in the direction she had darted. He knew the whole point of the game was to chase, to play predator and prey, but he couldn't stop the embarrassing chattering noises that tumbled from his lips as soon as she was out of sight, the idea of separation displeasing.

He wanted to run her down, but at the same time he didn't want her to leave his sight. 

He shifted, his muscles bunching in his thighs as he held himself back. 

Two minutes. He had promised her a two minute head start. It wasn't much, but it had been all he could agree to. He had to give her a chance at least, to hide, or run as far as she could, but he didn't think he had the self restraint to wait any longer than that.

**Want.**

_We said two minutes._

**Too long.**

_She won't get far._

He chattered again, unable to help it but settled some, became less restless. 

Time seemed to tick by slowly, and it was probably because it was all William could think about. Every second felt like an eternity, like he would never get his chance to tear after her. 

But, sure enough, the end did come, and when he counted down to zero in his head, he allowed himself another ferocious smirk before he stood and started after her.

____

  
  


Tatiana panted, scrambling to the back of the little cave-like structure she had found. She had stumbled across it and after seeing that the gap between the rocks was just big enough to fit her, she dove for it.

She wasn't stupid. She knew there was no way she could create enough distance between herself and William to matter. She wasn't built for running. She was built to pack on muscle and fat, the cornerstone qualities of someone who was meant to have babies and survive harsh winters in the days before modern amenities. Running would do nothing but make her weak and an easy target. 

Hiding was her best bet, at least to draw the game out a little. William was an apex predator, and her small headstart would be eaten up in no time. He would find her and it was just a matter of when, not if.

She worked to steady her breathing, quiet herself. Something told her that William was not waiting anymore, and she had only a little bit of time left to think of an escape for when he inevitably descended upon her.

She glanced around, the dark making it hard, but the back of the cave looked like it might not be a complete dead end. 

Tatiana carefully scooted over towards where the dark seemed to get darker, and felt it. Her hand touched dirt, and she pushed against it out of curiosity. The wall of dirt bent under the pressure, and she perked. 

She went to start digging, to start clearing the dirt and see if she really had gotten lucky enough to score a hiding spot with a backdoor when there was a noise outside. 

She stilled, that prey like instinct to freeze taking over again. She even held her breath, apprehension dancing along her spine. A shadow cast over the entryway she had slipped through.

" **Found you.** "

Tatiana yipped out of reaction more than anything else and William rumbled a short, wordless reply, before his arm was snaking through the gap and reaching for her. 

Tatiana jerked back, felt the air get displaced as his hand swiped at her, looking for something to grab. She pressed herself against the back wall as William snarled in frustration and tried again, only to get the same results. 

He switched arms, reaching for her again, as if doing so would make a difference. The distance between the rocks holding him at bay and where the false wall was only just enough where he couldn't touch her, but she was a sitting duck if she didn't think of a way to get out. She didn't want to alert him to her possible back exit, however, so she sat there, whimpering as clawed hands desperately tried to make contact. 

Eventually William growled, pulled back. He started digging at the entranceway, as though to dig more space to let him get further in. Only it displaced the rock that was leaning precariously across the opening, and when the dirt shifted so did it, closing off the entranceway completely and making William howl in anger.

Tatiana shook herself out of her stupor, immediately clawing at the dirt behind her. It turned out to be mostly roots, and after a few seconds the wall gave way and exposed a burrow. There was light at the other end, which meant escape, and Tatiana didn't look the gifthorse she was given in the mouth.

She crawled through the tunnel, her old hiding spot starting to tremble as William resorted to brute strength, attempting to pry her hiding space apart with his bare hands. 

She had better move... and quick.

She wiggled out of the hole, several feet away, and looked back behind her just in time to see the angel tear the roof off the rock formation. She saw his face twist in confusion when she wasn't sitting there waiting to be captured, and she made the mistake of laughing a little at it. His eyes snapped to hers so quickly it was a wonder he didn't give himself whiplash, and the fear she had been feeling earlier returned with a vengeance, a cold sweat seeming to break out all over her body.

The laughter died in her throat as she realized she had given herself away and she backed up a few steps before turning and booking it over a nearby hill and onto the other side.

William snorted through his nose like a bull, tossing the boulder he had pried off of her hiding spot to the side where it landed with a resounding thud.

The game was quickly turning out to be harder than he had originally thought.

Frustration was making his frame jittery, made his skin feel like it was too tight for his body. He had almost had her, and he gashed his teeth at his own stupidity.

He should have known she would have a trick up her sleeve. She always did. She was a clever bitch, and it was why he was so enamored with her. William should not have assumed that just because it had looked like she was trapped that she was out of options.

She had even laughed at him, and that burned him a bit. He was smarter than that. He didn't easily fall for such mundane thinking. It served him right that she had gotten away.

But he would catch her. The alpha crooned at the idea. Oh, he would. She couldn't outrun him, no matter how hard she tried. He would catch her, and he'd make her pay for her little stunt here.

He chuffed to himself before going off after her.

Tatiana, meanwhile, cursed herself, looking for somewhere else to hide. William would be upon her any second, and she needed to find some sort of cover!

She whined, heading for something that may or may not have been another burrow to duck into when something snagged her around the waist and stopped her in her tracks. 

Soon after, her back hit the trunk of one of the trees, and she hissed at the brief flash of pain the impact caused. Her body was on overdrive, however, so the distraction was minor, and she soon snapped her eyes back open, came face to face with her boyfriend who was pinning her to the tree, eyes hooded with pride at his catch.

" **Caught you.** "

He was breathing hard, his whole body shaking. Tatiana squirmed against his hold, her hands coming up and clawing at his arm and the hand that was wrapped around her neck like a necklace. It only served to rile him up more, and he slammed his free hand next to her head, raked his claws down the tree. Tatiana gasped, paused in her frantic attempts at escape to watch his claws rend the tree and its bark, tearing it to pieces like it was paper. 

She had always known he was strong, but seeing it always served to send a little thrill through her. 

He could hurt her so easily. He was so much more superior than any human, and it still boggled her mind that he was hers. 

But in this moment, she wanted to get away. She wasn't ready to submit. 

His display of strength only stood to stop her struggling for a second before she did the first thing that came to mind and hissed at him, telling him to back off. 

William's eyes went wide, surprised by her nonverbal reaction, but soon he was _crooning_ in reply. 

She was hissing. How cute.

He leaned forwards, licked her cheek. His tongue was dripping with drool, and his breath was hot on her neck as he ignored her hisses and invaded her personal space. She grunted, flinched away from his sloppy licking. He, meanwhile, wasn't taking any of her spitting seriously. And why should he? He was an alpha, the dominant gender. He outmatched her in everything. She would settle now that he had her, once she realized fighting was futile.

She turned her head away from his, and his hand that had been tearing the tree up coming to rest by her head again. He angled his shoulder near her face as he dipped his own head to try and take one of her nipples in his mouth. She growled in warning, a meek sound compared to how guttural his could be, but he ignored it. She was just upset that he had caught her. Her mood would improve soon enough. He just had to get her to accept him again.

He went to wrap his lips around her nipple when she apparently went to prove that she was not just all bark and no bite. He felt her blunt teeth sink into his shoulder, and the pain shocked him enough he let go and let up.

The bite surprised the angel. He let out a yip of shock and pulled back, looking to where the pain had radiated. Sure enough, there were teeth marks in his skin, blood pooling from the crescent shaped punctures. 

She had bit him.

He looked at his female, noted her intense stare, and then jerked back further as she spit his blood back at him, the spray landing hot on his cheek.

Arousal shot through his gut, hitting him so hard he felt like he'd been kicked in the chest.

She was flashing her bloodied teeth at him in a Cheshire grin, and somewhere in his head he knew he should have heeded her warning. His female was vicious. She had stood up to him when he was in a rage, when all logic had flown out the window and he was running off of pure hatred. If she hadn't been scared then it would stand to reason that, even when cornered, she would still fight. 

And that pleased him. William wanted that tenacity. He didn't know if she was right about what she had said earlier, about how angels used to chase one another like wolves and rabbits, but it made sense. Playing this game showed if your partner was worth the chase, and if they would put up a fight and protect any pups.

William didn't doubt her. Not after that. Watching Tatiana completely abandon her human nature and go back to base instincts told him everything he needed to know. She'd put up one hell of a fight, for him or their pups, and he shuddered with the intense wave of **want** that came over him. 

She was perfect. She was just as wild as him, and he **_needed_ ** her.

The blood that she had spat at him dripped off his cheek, and he swiped his tongue out to catch some that dripped over his mouth. He tasted copper and her saliva and it was such a lewd combination he couldn't help but groan.

Tatiana squirmed against him, not missing how distracted he was, and she shoved him off of her as hard as she could. William stumbled back, caught off guard and off balance, and it was enough space to give her time to try and run again.

She only managed a few steps before William had her in his grip again. She twisted violently, snapping her teeth at him and he rumbled at her in reply. But she was slippery, and even though she wasn't very fast, she somehow managed to avoid his grip completely, and his claws hooked the skin on her hip as she danced out of reach again. 

Blood trickled down her hip as skin tore, and she barely even registered the pain. She only knew he had landed a hit because his eyes had drifted. She instinctually went to look, and as she did so she lost her footing, and her minor upper hand. 

She fell down, the ground underfoot uneven and slick from the early dew. Her hands and knees prevented her from falling face first onto the spongy earth, but it also made her a prime target for William.

The angel didn't miss his opportunity. He was on her in seconds, his harsh breathing in her ear as his too hot skin slid against hers. His arms were wrapping around her, grabbing her arms and criss crossing them before he pulled them out from under her and she really did fall face first. She squirmed, twisting, but her impromptu straight jacket and William's heavy weight had her trapped.

Tatiana growled as William chuffed above her sliding his length along her ass and lower back. He was too warm, too damn hot. Her skin was chilled from the temperature William's illusion had chosen, and the contrasting heat made her feel like every inch that touched him was on fire. Tatiana bared her teeth, tasting the earthy moss that her face was pushed into, and narrowed her eyes at her lover, though her glare did not have as much of an effect given that she was hogtied.

William held her down with one hand between her shoulder blades, offering her a purr as she fought her capture. " **Caught you,** " he panted again, this time confident she couldn't escape. He moved so that he could lay against her, caging her under him as he draped himself over her form, pressed her further into the mossy forest floor. Tatiana still growled at him, snapped her teeth, and this time he headed the warning and kept careful distance from her mouth.

He didn't want to get bit again. But he did want to bite back.

He nipped at her arm, pinching her delicate skin enough to bruise. She hissed, jerked, but couldn't run, and he smirked against her shoulder. 

He was the alpha. He had played her little game and won. And, now, she would submit to him, and bear some marks as a reminder to not play such games again. He purred again, such a contrast to her wildcat protests, and nuzzled her hair. She wiggled like a worm on a hook, but couldn't get free. She was, however, tiring herself out, and William purred louder when she ceased her futile attempts to get free and panted, stressed out.

" **Stop fighting** ," he murred, coaxing. 

Her struggling meant she didn't accept the fact that he won, didn't accept him as the superior partner. He wanted her to roll over and show him her belly, give herself up and show that she trusted him by showing all her vulnerable bits. 

She had done it countless times before, always willing to let him near her neck and stomach. But in this situation she was protecting those soft bits, not ready to turn over full control. If she knew this, she didn't give any hint that she did. She kept fidgeting, as if to spite him.

Surprisingly, the chase and brief struggle to contain her had cleared his head a bit, enough to where the alpha felt comfortable dragging his other consciousness into the fray to speak. He was better with words, and maybe words would be enough to convince his bitch to submit. He enjoyed pinning her down, but he was hard, and he could smell how turned on she was. He didn't want to drag this out longer than necessary.

"Don't you want me to knot you?" The alpha crooned, his lips on her ear. She stilled at the change in his voice. 

"Will?"

He rumbled, flashed his teeth to let her know he was still in predator mode, but continued. "You bit me. No ones bitten me before," he said, and she laughed a little, though it was nervous. Her prey instinct was still kicking. 

"I wasn't ready to get caught," she grumbled.

"And yet, here you are." He rolled his hips again, shuddering at the pleasure the action brought him. He rasped his next words. "I want to breed you so bad. You're so perfect I want to make you mine, in every way." He growled, rutted against her harder. "Such a good bitch." 

Tat had long since learned that bitch was a term of endearment. Not many angels called their human partners that, aware of the drastic difference in terms between species, but she loved when William said it. She wanted to be his bitch, his little broodmare he made sure was constantly stuffed. Their discussion about children had been running around in her head, and she was leaning further and further into changing her stance and _begging_ him to stop teasing and actually pump her full. She knew he would do it too, which further fueled the fire in her belly whenever she thought about it.

Her eyes fluttered as he spoke, and she felt herself relaxing some despite her earlier fire. 

"Am I?" She whimpered the question, and William groaned, purring so loudly she could feel the reverberation in his chest.

"Perfect," he corrected, and his hand was skirting down her side, squeezing her love handles. "Absolutely perfect."

She bit her lip, relaxed some more. His words were having the desired effect, and she started to go boneless. "Will you be a good alpha to me?" She already knew the answer, had known the answer, but the responding keen let her know the question had hit William the same way him calling her his bitch had and she cracked an eye back open to watch his face.

" **Am good** ," he _whined_ , desperate to please. His eloquence went out the window, the male now anxious. " **Treat you good. Give healthy pups.** "

She hummed, as though considering it, and William shattered. 

He was chuffing, nuzzling her, suddenly begging for her recognition instead of power posing above her. Her heart melted at how quickly he switched, how he abandoned his game in favor of pleasing her. She was already so in love with him that she didn't even notice anyone else anymore, but it was moments like this that made her feel so much affection she could barely stand it.

She rolled over, William forgetting to hold her down, and she put her arms above her head, exposed her belly, breasts and neck. He wuffled, uncertain, and she murred in invitation.

"You are good. Such a good boy. Such a good **_alpha_ **." She rolled her hips up as William slotted between her thighs, eager to press skin to skin. He moaned at her praise, and began to rub his chin along her body wherever he could reach. 

" **Make a good nest,** " he muttered as he freverently scented her. " **Soft and safe and for you. Make happy.** "

She smiled, rolled her hips again. His dick was out now, dragging against her folds. "I am happy," she reassured. "So happy."

He licked one of her tits, raked his teeth over her nipple. She moaned a bit in reaction, and he shuddered. The overwhelming urge to taste her filled his mouth, made him salivate. 

Rut had been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he felt like their relationship had evolved to something even more intimate, but a curse because while he was ready to spend days soaking her womb in his seed, he had no seed to give. It frustrated William, because he felt like if their contraceptive did fail, and he wasn't clipped, she wouldn't the pregnancy take root. She would gladly let him pump her full of healthy pups, and be content to lay on her back for several months to do it. But he was consistently dry, his orgasms not wielding any messy finishes. It meant his vasectomy was doing its job, but he wished it would fail at least once. 

He wanted to know what she smelled like when she was pregnant. She smelled delicious now, but he had heard that a pupped bitch smelled even better. Like… like sweet cream. Milky and soft. He imagined she would still smell like her caramel and vanilla. Just with added velvety cream, a testimony to the fact that she would be lactating, body changing to accommodate her new brood.

He sucked on her nipple, moaned softly as he let himself fantasize. Would she let him nurse? He would do it all the way until the pups were born, and then after only when she would have some to spare. But if she let him he would be in heaven. He would greedily take the opportunity to taste her, hoard the opportunity to bond with her even more. He had always thought the idea of breast feeding was hot, and be very much wanted to try with her. 

He'd be gentle. Soft on her when the pups got too rough with their teeth. Hed make sure she was never uncomfortable, and he would definitely take to whining at the most inopportune of times just to see her body react and leak through her shirt. Maybe while they were shopping. Out to dinner. It would be an excuse to sneak her away so that he could take care of the problem he had caused, give him an excuse to latch onto her again and indulge in his addiction. 

Fuck… he wanted that and more. 

He wanted it so badly it _hurt._

He rutted against her, cock slipping against her wetness. She was soaked. It was fucking perfect.

He angled himself so that the next grind would seat himself in her, and his bitch whimpered at the intrusion, her hands finding their way to his tussled hair and gripping. William purred, hoping to comfort her, as he kept sucking on her tit and stayed still for a moment. She was so good for him. So perfect, even when she was tired and so sore she didn't refuse. 

He sighed through his nose, rocked forwards a bit gently and purred louder when her fingers tightened in his hair a fraction before loosening. He felt her give him a bit more room to work with, and he took it.

Tatiana grit her teeth for a moment as the pain from taking him lingered. Sure she was turned on, but she was still so sore from all the friction that had happened prior too. Her body wasn't meant to take this sort of abuse, and she would need a good amount of time off from sex after this to recover.

But, for now, William still needed her, and after a few moments the pain dulled enough to where she could start feeling some pleasure from it.

He was being gentle, still latched onto her breast. Her hand moved some so that she was cupping the back of his head and he murred, sucking harder. She bit her lip at the feeling, let her head fall back and just focused on that sensation for a while. His purr was reaching deep, settling in her bones nicely, filling her chest with pleasant rumblings.

Eventually he unlatched himself from her nipple, a strand of drool connecting them. When it broke it landed on her skin, cold. 

She shivered, looked up at him as he propped himself up to hover over her, hips still slowly thrusting.

" **You're so good for me,** " he whispered, and Tat bit her lip.

His words were so sweet. Like warm honey, dripping over her and covering her in pleasure. She loved it.

But she didn't want soft right now.

She loved his gentle touches, how he was so careful with her, but this was about him, about him letting go for once. 

She stroked his cheek, let him nuzzle into her palm. It was her last act of tenderness before she was growling at him and pushing him off. 

Her alpha had the audacity to whimper at her gesture, reeling backwards in confusion. He slipped out of her and she bared her teeth at him, rolling back over onto her stomach and pushing herself up on all fours. William whined, again, hovering behind her, and she could feel the anxiety rolling off him in waves. 

Poor alpha. So confused.

She smirked. 

Good.

"Are you confused?" She asked, voice sickly sweet. William trembled, she could feel it. She grinned, all teeth, and snapped at him. He jumped back, surprised, and then came right back, hovering again because what had he done wrong?

She dropped her front half to the floor, spread her knees out further. Like this, she was properly presenting, and she could practically hear William salivating at the view she offered.

"Come on, _alpha_ ," she taunted, wiggling her ass at him. "Show me those teeth, baby. Stop being gentle. I wanna be your bitch. You want that, don't you?"

William's answering howl was all she needed to hear, and she grinned like a maniac when he finally took the hint and mounted her. 

His hands were on her back, pushing her hard into the dirt. He speared her with his cock right after, and she couldn't help the snarl that was ripped out of her throat. 

Fuck, that hurt. But it hurt so _good_...

William growled in return, but privy to her wishes, he didn't stop. 

Hot drool dripped from his gaping maw, landing on her hips, his fangs out in the open and ready to bite. Her head was turned to the side as he pounded into her, the heavy slap of skin on skin echoing between the trees. Her neck was bared as she hissed through clenched teeth at every thrust, and he wanted to bite her so bad.

He leaned forwards, brought one of his legs up and planted his hoof next to her knee so that he could deepen his thrusts. His tongue found her neck, and while she writhed, jerking with every piston of his dick, he savored the flavor of her sweat.

She tasted so good. So so good.

He drooled again, rumbling, his claws digging into the plump flesh above her hips. His bitch cried out from the added pain, but then doubled down and snapped at him to be rougher.

Rougher? 

William snarled. Was this not good enough? He snapped his hips forwards, jostling her so much her knees cleared the ground for a second. She _screamed_ and William couldn't help the glee that raced down his spine at her pretty squeal.

He attacked her neck again, teeth nipping and pinching and biting, leaving pretty markings all over the expanse of skin.

" **Is that hard enough?** " He asked, a growl lacing his words. His claws ran down her sides, tearing little rivets in her skin that bled just enough to scent the air and deepen his lust. She keened, twitching away from the pain, but he gripped her harder until she whimpered and settled, giving herself up to his mercy.

He panted, immensely pleased by her submission. It stroked all his buttons, and he crooned to let her know she was doing good. Not that she had never disappointed before, mind you, but it never hurt to lay down praise.

He groaned, licking her shoulder and tasting her blood. It was bright and metallic in his mouth, made him feel euphoric as it slid down his throat. He nuzzled her hair, panted into her curls.

" **Such a good girl,** " he rasped, and Tatiana keened in reply. " **Such a good bitch. Wanna put my pups in you. Wanna keep you in my bed forever.** "

He hissed, the pleasure in his belly nearing its breaking point. He switched tactics, pushing his hips firmly against her to drive himself as deep as possible rather than outright thrusting. The new method wrangled sweet mewling noises from his female, and he kissed her neck, told her he liked her little noises.

" **Gonna put a pretty collar on you,** " he grunted as he drove himself deep, her body quivering under him, her walls spasming around his length. " **Pretty collar for my good girl.** "

Tatiana whimpered, tears in the corner of her eyes. "Fuck b-babe," she gasped, and he grinned against her shoulder, loving how fucked out she sounded.

This is how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be willing and pliant and he was supposed to tend to her every need, put her in her place when she needed it. Not that she was a bad girl. No, she was always so good. But sometimes she snipped, and he would have to remind her whose cock it was she hung off of every night and whose knot made her see stars. 

His orgasm was approaching rapidly and he rutted into her even harder. Tatiana was yipping with every movement, and William could feel his cock brushing something inside of her. It must've been sensitive, with how she was crying out. 

He groaned, focused on her pretty noises, and how her pussy was wringing him out. It felt so good. _She_ was so good.

His jaw ached, and he found himself putting his mouth on the junction of her neck and shoulder, the only place that wasn't marred with love bites. The urge to bite was swift and hard, and he groaned in frustration.

No, he couldn't. 

He couldn't mark her. Not like this. Not when she hadn't agreed.

Oh… but he wanted to. He wanted to claim her, take their relationship even further. A mating mark was old and sacred. It meant more than any wedding. 

He wanted to marry her, but her letting him claim her would be the best gift ever. 

He could practically hear the blood rushing under her skin, feel her pulse against his tongue as he bit down gently to ease some of the strain in his jaw, but no where near enough to satisfy. Her skin was so thin it would take no pressure at all to sink his teeth in, to scar her up so pretty for him. And when it healed it would look so good, a pink scar against her golden skin, enough to stand out and let everyone know that she was taken.

Tatiana reached up, carded her fingers through his hair as he had his way with her. He was focused on her neck again. She still had no real idea as to why he kept focusing on it, but she intended to find out what he wanted to do. 

This was all about him, and if he wanted to do something to her neck, she trusted him. She had already shown she was willing to do everything and anything for him by letting him let his alpha loose. One more thing couldn't hurt. 

She stroked his hair, still getting her world rocked, and managed to gasp out her permission. "Go- _ah!_ \- ahead," she said, biting her lip as his dick smashed into her cervix again, a deep but satisfying ache coiling low in her belly. "Do it."

William rumbled, jaw twitching, tightening just a fraction more. She pressed his head harder against her, silently urging him to do as he wished. "Come on, _alpha,_ " she said, pitching her voice into a whine that she knew would trigger him. " _Bite me_."

Her lover choked on his next breath, and his hips slammed into her one last time, so hard she yipped at the pain. But the feeling of him trying to impale her womb was mild compared to what came next, his jaws clamping down and _crunching_ through muscle and sinew. 

It hurt so much she almost forgot to scream, and when she did it was strangled, cut off because William was withdrawing his teeth, licking her and wuffling sweet encouragement as his knot locked them together.

She could feel her own blood running down her arm, so hot it felt scorching. The pain, once sharp, was quickly spreading, setting deep in her bones. She may have started shaking from the shock of it, but William was there to hold her up, purring quietly as she worked through the experience. Soon, it settled into a throbbing ache, one that flared in time with her heartbeat. It still hurt, but she felt any tension she had been holding slowly bleed away, and a strange feeling of contentment spread through her body. 

She slumped against the ground, William rubbing her back, chirping softly. She closed her eyes, hummed as she realized that, hey, this wasn't so bad.

It felt… it felt good, actually. Crazy as that may be.

Cathartic.

Tatiana sighed, nuzzled the bed sheets as William's illusion melted away, the cold of the forest replaced with the cozy warmth of their apartment and their scent clinging to the sheets.

William crawled over her, licked at the bite. His rough tongue made the pain flare, become less comforting, but he didn't mess with it for long; instead, he nosed her cheek, nuzzling her tender. 

" **Mate** ," his soft voice drifted to her ears, and she smiled, nodding. 

"Yeah," she agreed, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. He nuzzled her hand, and then pressed a kiss to her palm. He was purring again, but it sounded different. Deeper. She sighed, went completely boneless against the bed. After a moment, William eased her over onto her side, avoiding her injured shoulder, and then snuggled up behind her, rocking his hips forwards a bit to make sure he was still seated deep inside of her before urging her to rest. She didn't need any further coaxing, already drifting off.


	21. Miscommunication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops

Tatiana dragged herself out of bed a few days later, tired and favoring her hurt shoulder.

William was sleeping, which was a fucking blessing. She was cautiously optimistic that his rut was over and she could finally start to get some rest of her own, the last two days having been remarkably mild in terms of their activity levels. Compared to when they had first started, Wiliam seemed more interested in cuddling than trying to fuck her senseless, but he still did every now and then.

But now he was finally asleep. Actually asleep, and she had taken the opportunity to leave the bed and clean up. Helping him had been fun for a while, but she was so sore now she didn't even want him to look at her, let alone touch her. She was covered in bruises and hickeys and suspicious fluids and her shoulder was killing her, William's bite much deeper than she had originally thought.

She had managed to give herself some rudimentary first aide in between rounds, but she supposed she probably needed stitches rather than just pouring peroxide into the punctures. She was pretty sure it wasn't infected, but it hurt like a bitch, and her whole neck felt stiff.

Tatiana carefully reached up and brushed her fingers over the bite, wincing. It was hot to the touch, her fingers in comparison feeling cool as she gingerly prodded the raised edges. She had bled for quite a while after the initial injury, which further proved that she should've actually went to the doctor after, but a warm thought washed over her as she continued to feel the bite, and she smiled slightly.

William had marked her. 

The realization had clicked as soon as he had called her his mate, and she had been savoring the new change in her importance to him whenever her attention wasn't focused on helping him and his rut. 

She hadn't expected him to want to mark her. Not so soon any way, if ever. Markings were very important to Angels, and weren't very common between interspecies pairs. She had never been against the idea, but actually having it happen to her made her feel weightless. 

A mark was as good as getting married. Nay, moreso. She would have accepted a proposal just as easily, but the bite felt much more intimate, and she sighed, letting herself be happy. 

For a long time she had accepted the fact that she wasn't really going to click with anyone beyond a certain level, that all her relationships would taper out because of her inability to really be emotional. And she understood. She was a woman, and people expected women to be immensely caring and soft and… she wasn't. On the inside she was, but she couldn't express those feelings outward, trauma and conditioning making her hold it all in.

And then William had come along, and turned her world upside down, didn't make her feel like she was different, that she was lacking. They were happy, and their relationship worked, and she was comfortable. 

Tatiana couldn't remember a time where she had felt comfortable, where she didn't have to try and mimic those around her, or fit a stereotype that was lacking in a group. She didn't need to change herself to ensure her stability in their dynamic, and it was refreshing. William seemed to know her needs, and understood her love language. 

She hugged herself, smiling. It felt good, to be wanted, to be given a mark that some would see as crude and savage but really meant the world. William didn't want anyone else, and she was so happy she just kept smiling like an idiot whenever she was allowed to think about it. She'd proudly show it off, because she was proud to have it, even if right now it was impeding her ability to move her neck and shoulder. 

Tatiana allowed herself to touch it one last time before deciding she needed a shower, and then that she should start cleaning after. Their house was a mess and definitely needed tidying.

She dipped into the bathroom and shut the door, the sound of the shower turning on starting soon after.

XxX

William came back to the waking world slowly, blinking as the sun peeked through the curtains. He sighed, nuzzled the sheets as his senses slowly came back into focus. It smelled like him and Tat, along with the leftover musk from his rut. He purred, stretched languidly under the covers before snaking an arm out, looking for his lover. 

He found the bed empty, however, and he pouted a bit, sitting up some and pulling the covers back. 

As soon as he did, all the warm fuzziness from a good night's sleep were gone, replaced instead with a feeling that felt like when one had ice water dumped on them. 

Blood. There was blood, all over the sheets. The pillows. The comforter. 

William panicked, nostrils flaring out of impulse and he reeled at the fact that it smelled fresh, and it wasn't _his._

What had he done? 

He frantically pulled the covers off the bed, looking for his girlfriend, as if she was hiding somewhere under the mess of blankets. When she wasn't, he whined, and scrambled out of bed. His body protested the sudden movements. Every muscle was stiff, sore from overuse. Everything below the waist felt overworked and tired and weak and he had to force his knees not to give out when he stood up. 

He gave himself a cursory once over, the full length mirror in the bedroom helping him. It was in the mirror he noted the bite to his shoulder, and he whined again, tearing his eyes away to leave the bedroom and search the house.

He heard her before he saw her, movement sounding from the kitchen. The sink was running, and dishes were being moved. William staggered around the corner and felt his blood run even colder at the sight she presented. 

She was wearing one of his shirts, but it rode up on her hip, exposed everything below. Long, angry scratches- _claw marks_ \- raced up and down her thighs and up her hip, disappearing under the shirt. Her thighs were peppered with bruises, some new and others older, starting to purple as they healed. If he squinted he could see what looked like imprints from fingers gripping too tight, too **hard**.

She didn't see him looking, didn't know he was up. Her hand came up, rubbed at her neck. She flinched, hissing under her breath, and William nearly choked on his own tongue at the sight of her neck once she moved her hand. 

It was angry and red and purple and he wanted to be sick, putting a shaking hand over his mouth as she continued to wash dishes, wearing the evidence of his abuse over the past two weeks. 

What had he done? 

_What had he done?!_

William slumped against the wall, starting to feel a panic attack coming on. His alpha crooned in his head, concerned, and he snarled at it. 

_You weren't supposed to hurt her!_

The alpha shrunk at his tone, rolling about in William's subconscious, leeching feelings of confusion that contrasted with his anger.

**No hurt** , it replied, but William knew it was lying. The proof was right in front of him.

He felt his stomach clench, and he groaned a bit at the urge to vomit, disgusted with himself. 

He should have told her to leave. He shouldn't have trusted his stupid alpha. If he hadn't, she wouldn't be walking around, hurting…

"Will?"

Her voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and he looked up, meeting her worried brown eyes as she stared at him and his position on the floor.

"Are you okay?"

Was he okay?

He barked out a laugh, because fuck, she was too nice, too good to him. 

He didn't deserve her concern after what he had done to her.

She looked even more worried, and he stood, forcing himself to step towards her and extend a shaking hand towards her neck, where the bite was. 

"I… your neck," he said. He growled once he got a good look at it, at the damage he had done, and felt his anger at himself flare up even more.

" **_Fuck._ **"

He spat the word with so much vitriol she flinched, and he wanted to be sick again.

Had he yelled at her during his rut? Fuck, he must've. She had never flinched from him before. God, he must've been a monster, must've taken advantage of her during his rut. She had never acted scared of him before, and he further believed this when he saw tears shimmer in her big brown eyes.

Tatiana, meanwhile, was confused.

William looked so upset. She had never seen him so mad, and not ever directed at her. Sure, at Jessie, but _her_? 

Never.

She backed up as he raised his voice, flinching on instinct. Andrew had always hit her when he got mad, when he yelled. She knew William wasn't Andrew, but the triggers were there, and she reacted. 

But what was he mad about? What had happened? She hadn't been loud, and he had never seemed to care that she was doing chores while he slept before. 

He had mentioned her neck though, just before he had snapped. 

She reached up, protected the vulnerable area as a thought came to her.

Was… was he upset about the mark?

Her mind started doing cartwheels, trying to figure out if she was maybe wrong, that maybe it was something else. But he wouldn't stop looking at her, at where her hand was, and she felt something slimy and uncomfortable settle in her chest.

He… he didn't want her to have it. 

That had to be it. Why else would he be so upset? She hadn't done anything but ask him what was wrong, and he had lashed out immediately upon seeing the mark on her skin.

Her emotions hit her so hard she barely had time to process what was happening, that she was crying, so suddenly that her eyes actually hurt as the tears came and slid down her cheeks. 

"I… I thought…"

Thought what? That he actually wanted to be with her? Permanently?

Had she really thought that just because everything had seemed to be going so smoothly that he would want to tie himself down? That he would want to settle with someone like her? 

A meek part of her said yes, but the rest laughed. Mocked her. 

Her parents hadn't even wanted her. Why would she think that she would get a fairytale ending, a love story that was quick and fast to start but stretched on forever? 

She didn't get to be happy. Andrew's words floated around in her head, further drove the point home. She was broken. A hand me down that no one wanted to keep. 

The tears were coming faster, and she hugged herself a bit, stepping further back. 

She should've known this would come back to bite her. He hadn't been in his right mind. If she twisted the perspective, which she did, it looked like she had forced him to give her the mark. 

It had never been willing. If he had really wanted her to have it, he wouldn't be so upset, so _disgusted._

"I… I can get rid of it," she said, because she didn't know what else to do, how else to appease him. She couldn't reverse time, prevent him from doing it in the first place. Though it hurt her, _broke_ her to say she would give it up, she would because maybe if she did they could pretend it hadn't happened, and she could keep this, _them,_ just a little longer. 

She didn't want to lose him. She couldn't. If she did, if he left, or more accurately **kicked** her out, she wouldn't be able to recover. 

"I'm so sorry…" She was begging now.

She would do whatever he wanted. 

Anything.

It was William's turn to be confused. 

She had never folded like this, never tried to look smaller, never begged for his forgiveness. It sent him reeling, and the urge to comfort her overrode everything else. 

He reached for her, and she flinched again, which further tore his heart in two. 

What the fuck had happened while he was under? 

"Darling," he said, unable to help the whimper that tumbled out of his throat. He touched her, and she broke, her crying turning to full, uncontrolled sobbing. 

She buried her face into his chest, hugged him like her life depended on it. And she reeked of desperation, of fear.

"Please don't leave me," she sobbed, sounded so distraught he started to tear up. 

"Why would I ever leave you?" He said, his own voice wobbling. He loved her so much it bordered on obsession, definitely unhealthy but it hadn't mattered because she loved him too. She loved him so much that even when she should be spurning him, she was clinging to him. He wrapped his arms around her, picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and sobbed into his neck, and he nuzzled her, trying not to break down with her. 

"I'll get rid of the mark," she continued, her arms squeezing his neck, as if he would drop her if she didn't. "Just… please don't leave…"

Mark?

William looked at her neck, at the wound she had been covering when she had first started crying. He noted its placement, right between where her neck and shoulder converged. It was a clean bite, not ragged like he had tried to rip her apart. His alpha whimpered, fed him memories of the the chase, of her giving him permission to let go, of him biting her because she _asked_ him too, and him feeling nothing but endless happiness because _finally_ , they weren't alone anymore. The mark was theirs, meant they were together forever, an item instead of two halves. 

She thought he didn't want her. That he was mad that she had it.

Oh…

William pressed his lips to her mark, Tatiana whimpering at the pressure, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. 

He kissed it again, and again, and again until her crying had dimmed some, and when it did he nuzzled her cheeks, smearing his own tears against her skin.

"I thought I had hurt you," he whispered, shaking. "I thought I… I thought I had used you."

He held her tighter to him, whimpered. "I'm crazy about you, Darling. All I've ever wanted was to be yours. I was thinking of wedding bells our third week together."

She sniffled, a soft laugh coming from her. He nuzzled her again, pressed kisses to her hair. "I would die before I left you…"

She settled against him, some of the tension in her frame hesitantly releasing. 

"...so… I can keep it?" 

William whimpered. 

"Please," he whispered back. "I don't want anything else. I want us to be forever…"

He wanted to always wake up next to her, have her in his life. He wanted to have a family with her, spend their years loving each other and their children and being happy. He wanted her to want his mark, and want to be with him. 

She shivered against him, hugged him tighter. "I don't want to be with anyone else," she murmured. "I… you make me feel… like I'm worth something."

"You're worth the world to me," William objected, and she crooned, more tears slipping through her closed eyes. 

"...are you sure?" 

God, she was too… so much. 

He pulled away from her slightly, made her look at him. When she did, he kissed her, and she melted into his lips, a soft sigh shuttering out of her. The kiss was soft and sweet and William tried to convey just how much she meant to him, just how much he wanted her. 

When they pulled apart to breathe, he pressed their foreheads together, stared into each other's tear filled eyes. 

"I've never been surer," he whispered, and he got to watch her pick up the pieces, put them back together, and be _happy._

She was crying again, but there was no sadness. Her watery smile meant the world to William, and he pressed kisses to her cheeks as she whimpered. 

"I'm so happy," she murmured in between hiccups, and William purred because he was happy too. So fucking elated he felt like he was high. 

He had a mate now, and his heart felt full and complete and it was _amazing._

He kissed her again, eyes hooded as he watched her. "I'm so sorry it hurt… I'm sorry I scared you," he apologized, and she just smiled, shook her head. 

"Its okay," she said, wiping her cheeks. "It was worth it."

Fuck. She was perfect. 

"I love you so much," he said.

"I love you more."


	22. Final Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hospitals are icky.

Afterwards, William took her to the livingroom, and helped her tend to her mark, and the other bites and scratches that littered her body. 

She was so good for him. He knew she was hurting, could see all the bruises and scratches he had left behind and knew they were painful, but she was just happy to know she was mated. 

He couldn't blame her. He wanted to tell everyone and anyone, wanted the whole neighborhood to know, but right now he had to focus on her. 

She deserved to be pampered, especially after that explosive bout of emotional release. 

"I'll take care of everything," he whispered against her skin, smoothing antibiotic cream over the bite. She relaxed against the couch, didn't even flinch as he touched her. She trusted him so much, and he was not going to take it for granted. He purred. "You relax. I've put you through so much." 

She stroked his hair. "It's not a chore," she said, soft. "I wanted to help you."

He smirked, kissed her. "I know." More kisses. "But it's my turn. Let me spoil you, hm?" 

She giggled a little before nodding, and he kissed her one more time in thanks.

He focused his attention back on the bite. It looked bad, if he was being perfectly honest with himself. It would definitely take a while to heal, William tentatively prodding it to make sure he hadn't lifted any of the skin from her muscle. It didn't appear so, but the punctures were deep. She had kept it as clean as she was able given the prior circumstances (it, him being needy as fuck) but he would have to keep an eye on it. If it started to look worse, or she felt worse, he was going to take her to the doctor. 

He stopped messing with the bite, not wanting to upset her by causing more discomfort, and got up. He magiced the extra pillows away, but left the sofa, since she was currently resting on it. He went and got her a glass of water and some of the muscle relaxers they had bought some time ago, hoping it would ease some of the discomfort she was feeling. Tat took them without a fuss, slumping against the couch after and starting to doze. 

William made sure she was comfortable, draping a blanket over her so she didn't get cold, and then went and took a shower himself. 

After that it was mostly him undoing all the changes he had made during his rut and tending to the messes he had been the cause for. 

He did a full disinfecting of the house, swept and mopped, and did all the laundry. The sheets were a lost cause. There was too much blood, and the stains had set to be impossible to get out. He was just thankful he had splurged and bought a waterproof mattress protector when he had first gotten his bed. The blood hadn't soaked through and ruined the actual mattress, and the stains were small enough William figured he could get them out enough to not matter. It was going to be covered up by actual bedsheets anyway.

Tat watched him in between rounds of sleeping, William stopping every now and then to check in on her, make sure she didn't need anything. She was tired, and that was completely understandable, so she didn't ask for much. 

William finished cleaning and the last load of laundry was in. He put on a shirt and his jacket, which got his female's attention immediately, Tat sitting up some on the couch. 

"Where are you going?" She asked, and William wanted to croon at how needy she sounded. 

"I'm just going to take out the trash, and go to the store. Get you something to eat, yeah?" he came over, pressed a kiss to her temple. She huffed, as though the idea of being apart displeased her, and he purred in agreement. He didn't want to leave, but he needed to. They weren't out of food, but none of it looked appealing and he honestly wanted to stuff himself with junk food. He figured she did too. He didn't think either of them had eaten much the last two weeks and carbs would help get some of their energy back. 

"Do you have to?" She leaned into his nuzzling and the angel shivered, rubbed against her harder. 

"Unfortunately," he said, though now he definitely didn't want to. She usually didn't care if he went out without her, aware not every situation required the both of them to leave the house together, so the clinging was new and much appreciated. William himself was still thrumming with the instinct to stay near her, keep her safe and touch skin to skin and help the new bond they had together grow and settle. He liked to imagine she was feeling the same way. Her need for his touch and to have him close was very convincing in any case.

Tat huffed again, and then relaxed her grip on his jacket, her fingers having found it after he had stooped down to interact. She smoothed the wrinkles in the fabric with a few pets. 

"Mmm, just hurry back, yeah?" She said, leaning back and away from him, William now the one making noises of discontent.

"Be quick as I can," he promised. 

He may have lingered beside her longer than necessary, but eventually he found the will to leave.

The trip to the store was uneventful. The only downside to the whole thing was having to adjust to other people again. He may have technically been out of rut, but some of the symptoms tended to linger for several days after. The most problematic was getting used to other scents that weren't his or Tat's. He had been holed up in his house for the last week and a half, breathing in nothing but his new mate and his own heady odors. The smell of the general populous, although not generally bad, was still jarring and started the beginnings of a headache. 

His alpha grumbled in his head. **Want home** , it would say. William didn't disagree with it.

When he returned home, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. William hadn't realized how tense he had been during his short trip until it suddenly let go, and he had to roll his shoulders to get his muscles to settle again before he left the foyar to find his mate.

"I'm back," he said softly, looking over to the couch. 

Tat was laying there, just where he had left her, the TV on though she didn't seem to be really paying attention. Her eyes were closed, and one of her hands had pushed the shirt she was wearing up to expose her stomach. Her fingers were gently massaging her flesh in lazy circles, under her belly button where her muffin top was the most noticeable. 

William immediately felt himself being drawn to her, and he didn't resist the urge. He approached, setting the bags down beside the couch as he crouched next to her. 

She didn't open her eyes, kept rubbing her stomach. "Kinda hurts," she said once he settled. 

William nodded, though she didn't see. He was transfixed on her movements. He leaned closer, could feel the heat she was radiating against his skin which was numb from the walk outside in the bitter cold. 

"Can… can I?" He asked, and Tatiana wordlessly agreed, moving her hand so that William could do as he pleased.

The angel wasn't even really sure what he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to touch, but seeing her laying there and rubbing her belly was sending his brain into overdrive. 

**Pup,** the alpha chirped, and William shook his head. 

She wasn't pregnant. It was impossible. Still, his second personality kept purring it in his head, and he chalked it up to his leftover hormones making him react so. 

She shifted on the couch, stretching, and he took the opportunity to nuzzle where she had been petting. He inhaled on impulse, the subconscious desire to check and see if she was pupped making him do it. She smelled good, like her usual scent, but it was mellowed by her earlier shower, and his own scent was not very present. 

He rubbed his chin and neck against her belly, Tat jumping a bit as his cool skin touched her overly warm frame, but relaxed quickly after, humming as his rubbing turned to kisses.

He pressed several to her navel and purred happily before making himself pull away. He still had cooking to do. 

"Does it hurt bad?" He asked once he remembered her earlier words. She shook her head, eyes still closed.

"No. Just leftover cramps from you trying to rearrange my guts," she said, her voice light, teasing. "I can still feel you inside, you know. My pussy keeps clenching around nothing."

A guttural noise left William at that, and she smirked. 

"Down boy."

"Tease," William whispered, leaning over and nipping at one of her nipples as it peaked under the thin fabric of her shirt. She hissed slightly and squirmed, then swatted at him lightly. He chuckled and stood, heading to the kitchen to start making food.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. They both ate and then spent the remainder of the day curled up on the couch, talking quietly if at all. 

When bedtime rolled around, William carried her to their room, setting her on the bed carefully. 

Tat winced as the movement, though gentle, jostled her shoulder. William noticed immediately and frowned.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Tatiana nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." She gingerly adjusted herself, but William didn't miss how she kept grimacing in discomfort. 

Fuck. Maybe the bite was worse than he thought…

"...I think we should go to the doctor tomorrow," he admitted. He wasn't knowledgeable enough to feel comfortable letting her ride this out. Wounds weren't supposed to hurt at the end of the day. They were supposed to loosen up and relax because the body was active and moving. The fact that she seemed to be in more pain now than this morning was very concerning. 

Tatiana looked at him. "Huh? No, I'm fine, babe," she replied. "Really. Just stiff."

William whined. 

"That's the problem," he countered, looking at her shoulder. "You're not supposed to be this stiff at the end of the day. I'm worried that something is wrong…"

Tatiana reached up, felt the wound. They had put a bandage over it to keep it clean after tending to it that morning so her fingers touched the fabric of the bandage instead of the raised skin underneath. It hurt, but Tatiana wasn't positive that it was going to just stop hurting like William thought. The punctures were deep in the muscle, and muscle took forever to knit itself back together. The pain was expected for her with that knowledge, but William's concern was shaking that belief.

Maybe he was right. Maybe there was something wrong.

"Are you sure?" 

William stifled the whine that wanted to leave him at her question. He was quickly learning that his mate was eager to please, just like himself. The problem was she was too content to accept pain. He didn't like seeing her hurt, and even though she was expecting it and was fine with it, he didn't want her to just accept being uncomfortable. It meant she would and could start to hide things because she just expected it to happen, and he didn't want that. 

"Yes, of course I'm sure," he said. "You shouldn't be in pain. Not like this, anyway." He motioned towards the bandage. "I want you to have my mark, but if you're going to be in agony I would rather fix it than watch you suffer."

She smiled at him softly. "I'm not suffering," she protested, and William huffed.

She was going to be the death of him.

"You can barely move," he muttered, lowering his voice a bit so it was more gravelly and authoritative. "That's suffering."

"It doesn't-"

" _God, you're such a good girl_ ," William rasped, because **fuck** , she was. She wasn't complaining. She wasn't demanding anything. She was so pliant and cooperative it pushed _all_ the right buttons for his alpha, cemented the fact that he had made a good choice. But it was maddening at the same time. She was too compliant. 

If she wouldn't complain now, what about when and if they had pups? Would she hide her discomfort from him, just shoulder it and not tell him? He admired her strength and unflappable nature, but he was supposed to provide for her and protect her. He couldn't do that if she didn't let him.

Tat was practically purring now, his words having struck a chord in her. He watched her roll around in his praise before he fixed her with a stern look. "We're going to the doctors tomorrow. You're getting checked out." 

She pouted, and he nipped at her when she went to protest again. "Let me take care of you," he said once she quieted. "That's what an alpha does, right? Don't you trust your alpha?"

He didn't usually play his second gender card, but he remembered how much he and her had enjoyed themselves during the chase, and how good it had felt giving into those instincts and urges. He was taking the chase as a sign to maybe start tapping into that part of himself more, especially since she was so receptive. Tatiana further proved his point by sighing, almost dreamily, and nodding. 

"Of course I do," she breathed.

He dropped his head, nuzzled her. "Good. Then let me do this, okay? Don't start fighting me now."

She chuckled. "I don't fight you."

"No," he agreed, gently raking his teeth over her arm. "But you do test me sometimes. You're not supposed to poke your pack leader, you know."

She murred happily. "If I wasn't in pain and sore as shit, I'd tell you to show me what a strong pack leader you are," she said. She rocked her hips slightly as if to prove her point. "But I think I'm good for sex for a while."

The angel hummed. "Oh, I know." He grinned, flashed his teeth at her and watched her bite her lip in reaction. "But I don't think I have to do much to show you. You just need reminding, is all."

Tatiana rolled her eyes, then patted the space next to her, suggesting she was ready for bed and she wanted him to hurry up and cuddle her. William obliged, and they fell asleep not long after.

  
  


XxX

  
  


The emergency room was surprisingly quiet when Tatiana and William arrived. Neither of them frequented it often, but the fact that there seemed to be less staff than usual milling around the lobby was an indicator that, at least for now, it was slow.

They checked in and then took a seat. 

William looked at her as she gingerly sat beside him, and then slumped against his side. She was slightly warmer than usual, and she wasn't really looking or feeling like herself. William carefully wrapped his arm around her, moved her hair so that he could peek at her injury, and winced at the sight. 

It looked worse than yesterday, and was swollen. The stiffness in her muscles had traveled even further up her neck and into her shoulder, and while she still wasn't complaining, she was definitely not as receptive to him touching her as she was yesterday. 

William bit his lip, let her hair go and pressed his nose to her temple. "I'm so sorry, Darling," he murmured, feeling terrible. This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen, and he was beating himself up for not taking her right after he had bitten her. His alpha should have known she would need medical attention after such an injury, even if it was part of the mating process.

Tatiana, bless her, just shook her head, gave the thigh her hand was resting on as she slumped against him a squeeze. "It's okay babe," she said, tipping her head forwards a bit to try and shield her eyes from the fluorescent lighting of the waiting area.

She felt woozy, if she was being perfectly honest. And nauseous. Tatiana had no doubt that the way she was feeling had to do with the strange sensation of pressure and tightness that radiated from the bite in-between it's intense throbbing. The pain in her neck was now excruciating, but she felt so terrible in _general_ that she couldn't really do anything besides shut down in an attempt to manage the whole situation. 

She had never really been one to complain about being hurt. Today's society didn't really take anyone's pain seriously anyway, so being vocal about it wouldn't help. But it definitely wouldn't help in this situation. William was already concerned. He'd been hovering over her all morning and she was sure that if she had been making more of a fuss he would've lost his composure. 

The wait for a doctor was about average. The emergency room was for emergencies, but triage took priority. When they had a doctor free to help her, they were guided to the back and William helped her onto the exam bed. He stood beside her, rubbing her hip in soothing motions that kind of helped ease her nausea, but bordered on being too repetitive to where her skin started to feel weird under her jeans from the constant motion.

She was thankful when a physician finally pulled her privacy curtain back. It meant she was one step closer to feeling better.

"What seems to be the problem?" The woman asked as she approached Tatiana, avoiding William's side.

Tatiana couldn't help the slight flare of irritation that came when she was asked what was wrong. She had filled out a whole form when she had checked in. Her reason for being there was probably right on the clipboard the doctor was holding, if she even bothered to read it.

_What is the point even,_ she thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes and instead just going with the flow. She was in too much pain to make a fuss right now.

The woman forced herself to sit up a bit straighter, and pulled down the collar of her shirt to show the doctor. "I think my mark is infected," Tat said, breathing slowly through her nose as the pain flared from her minute actions.

The doctor leaned closer, gloved hands reaching out and none too gently fingering the area. Tatiana hissed in reply at the rough handling, and William rumbled in warning.

"Be gentle," he said from beside her, and the doctor pulled away quickly, but didn't offer an apology. 

She instead noted something on her clipboard before motioning to Tatiana's shirt. "Can you take it off?" She asked. "I need to see the extent of the bruising."

Tatiana nodded stiffly, and unbuttoned her shirt, sliding it off her shoulders once all the little buttons were undone. The fabric pooled around her waist and she heard the doctor suck in a sharp breath at the sight. 

She was covered in bite marks and bruises and scratches, leftover gifts from William's rut. None of them hurt too badly and were healing well except for the mark, which had made her skin purple all over the left side of her neck and her shoulder, cascading some down back.

The doctor touched her again, this time much more careful. Tatiana felt her latex gloves sliding against her skin as she pressed certain areas, checking for what Tatiana wasn't sure, but her exam didn't last for too long. Soon, the doctor was pulling away and was frantically scribbling on her clipboard.

"I'll be right back," she said, dipping out of the makeshift room and leaving William and Tat to themselves. 

William snorted, hands reaching for her and gently petting her hip again. "She was too rough that one time," he muttered, and Tat felt her mouth quirk up at the corners in a smile.

"She didn't mean too."

"Still. She can see something's wrong. She didn't have to be so crass."

Tatiana just hummed, letting herself relax against the bed again to wait. She just wanted to get this whole thing over and done with so she could go back home and rest. She had to go back to work in a few days and she wanted to enjoy what was left of her vacation without the constant agony of an infected mark.

It was a long time before anyone came back to their room. William was getting antsy and Tatiana could feel her own ire growing when the curtain finally pulled back again. 

She went to settle the doctor with a look of displeasure at being kept for so long (another hour, at least) when she found herself glowering at two police officers instead.

What?

She sat up, concerned, and the officer closest to her cleared his throat. "We were called for a welfare check."

"Welfare check?" Tatiana parroted, confusion lacing her words. "For _who_?"

"The doctors here think that there was an assault that had taken place. They are concerned about all the bruises and other injuries on your person," the cop continued, extending his hand and motioning for William to come with him. "We would like to speak to each of you in private."

" _Assault_?" 

William sounded gutted, and Tatiana herself was feeling some panic rising. This had to be a mistake. The doctor hadn't even asked her if everything was okay, which the woman would assume would be the first step to something like this. Not just calling the cops.

"I wasn't **assaulted** ," Tat protested, voice vitriolic at the very notion that people would assume such. "I'm just here because my mark is infected. I never said I was in any sort of danger."

The second cop spoke now, still motioning for William to step over. "We would still like to talk to you both separately. It's protocol."

Something about that made Tatiana doubtful. 

Though inter species relationships were common, that didn't mean they were always accepted. Angels were still subject to many unjust happenings in society, and Tatiana didn't feel comfortable putting her faith in a system that had proven to be broken many times. These cops seemed too eager to take the doctor's word over her own when she was the supposed victim.

"He's my **husband** ," she said, stressing the word husband to drive her point. "He didn't do anything I didn't agree to." She gestured to her neck and several other of the love marks that were left on her. "I like it rough, officer. Is that a crime now?"

"Ma'am-"

"No. I mean it," Tatiana continued, cutting the officer who was trying to placate her off. "He's not going with you because _nothing_ happened. I didn't ask for the doctor to call you, and I never said I was in danger. There's no welfare check. I am **_fine_ **."

She frowned. "All we did is have rough sex. I'm not being abused."

The cops looked like they were the ones getting annoyed now, and the curtain pulled back again as another doctor entered the quickly overcrowding space. Tatiana noted that it wasn't her original doctor, which settled in her mind as odd.

Why wouldn't she come to check on Tatiana if she thought something was wrong? Didn't that go against the whole point of being concerned? 

Tatiana didn't have time to think on it because the new doctor, a man who looked haggard and in need of several cups of coffee, was putting himself into the mess.

"Officers, I think there's been a mistake," he said, getting the two's attention. "We didn't mean to call you."

The one officer scoffed. "We got a direct request from your facility," he protested, jaw ticking under fluorescent lighting. 

The new doctor shook his head. "Yes, I'm aware. But the colleague who did that didn't follow proper protocol." He gestured towards Tatiana and William. "I believe she misunderstood the situation and acted without all the proper information."

The cops looked doubtful, but also seemed tired of the situation in general. "So you're fine?" One of them snapped at Tatiana, and she felt her lip curl in response.

"Just _peachy,_ " she bit back. 

The doctor stood between her and the officers as they shrugged their beefy shoulders and stepped out, making noises of complaint about "wasted time" as they exited. Tatiana didn't allow herself to relax until they were gone, but then remembered the whole reason they had showed up in the first place. 

"So, can I get a doctor who isn't racist by chance?" She growled, looking at the new physician, who didn't really deserve her ire, but hadn't proven that he wasn't an ally either. "I just want to get my fucking pain managed, not to have my husband be arrested because some bitch can't stand the sight of an interspecies couple."

To his credit, the new doctor didn't try to make excuses. "I apologize for the disturbance," he said, and his voice bellied an earnestly that Tatiana felt was genuine. He pointed to his name tag and various badges, offering the couple a hesitant smile as he introduced himself. "I'm doctor McKlintock. I'll be taking over for the rest of your visit, if that's any consolation."

Tatiana took a second to look at him. He didn't look old, but he did look tired. Too many back to back shifts and not enough sleep, his broad shoulders hunched over as a marker of his exhaustion. His eyes were hazel, she thought, and kind when she focused on them. His hair was brown and was pushed back with probably copious amounts of texture paste that wasn't attempting any sort of style but more or less just to keep his hair from falling into his eyes. His sideburns hinted that he might be out of his peak, with several grey hairs glinting silver in the harsh overhead lighting. In his doctor's coat, a pair of glasses peeked out from his pocket.

He screamed non threatening to Tatiana, and she found herself relaxing again, willing to hear him out.

Behind her, William rumbled warily, apparently not as ready to accept him. "Are _you_ going to assume I'm some sort of monster?"

Dr. McKlintock shook his head, easing himself onto the little rolling stool that had gone unused for the majority of Tat's visit, sighing some as he got to rest his tired legs. "No, I won't," he promised, voice kind. "Unlike some of my coworkers, I don't see anything wrong with couples like you. As a doctor, I said I would help anyone who needed it, angel or human or hybrid."

He motioned to Tatiana's shoulder and the whole reason for her visit. "My colleague should have started your treatment instead of calling the police, but that's neither here nor there." 

He scooted closer, the chairs wheels squeaking in protest. Tatiana tilted her chin slightly to give him access to her injury, but the doctor slid his attention to William first, who was hovering over the bed and her, an unconscious reaction to the earlier kerfuffle with the police.

"Can I touch it?" He asked, and William blinked.

"Excuse me?" 

Dr. McClintock looked at the injury and then back at William. "It's your mark, correct?" At Williams nod, he continued. "May I touch it? I'm assuming your second gender is alpha. I haven't seen many marks that aren't from an alpha and I don't want to make either of you feel like I'm not respecting your claim. Most marks happen during a rut too so my scent can cause some disturbance if you're just coming out of it."

Tat made a noise of interest, and William just looked at the doctor as though he had grown a second head.

No human doctor had ever really taken the time to think of things like that. Granted, William had only seen a handful of human doctors, but they had for the most part been indifferent to anything regarding his second gender. He didn't try to show it much either, since there were stipulations humans had built around the word itself and he did not want them jumping to conclusions about his character. But this doctor seemed knowledgeable and _respectful_ to the fact that he wasn't human, and was going lengths to ensure their visit went well.

"I… yes," he said after a moment's pause, eyeing the doctor with open curiosity. "No one's done that before…"

Dr. McClintock gave them both another tired smile. "I actually work with a lot of angel clientele. I do my best to know everything so I can help my patients."

He smiled again before focusing on Tatiana, and gently palpating her injury. It took him a few moments before he was pulling back and excusing himself. He returned only a few seconds later with some swabs, a vial, and a few sterilized packets. He sat back down on his stool and pulled a small tray table over beside him to open his various packets onto. 

"I think what's happened is an abscess has formed deeper inside the wound there," he said. "It's pretty common. Even though it looks like a clean bite, and your paperwork said you did clean it right after it happened, what probably occurred was when you pulled back, your teeth hooked on the various muscles in that area, and lifted the fibers apart."

William flagged at the news. "I… I thought I was careful." He could remember doing it, from what memories the alpha showed him, and he was certain his other half had been efficient delivering the bite.

"It happens." The doctors shrugged. "Sometimes it's no problem, and there's no complications, but other times things like this happen. It's an easy fix, but I have to open up the pocket and get all the pus out so it can heal." He gently asked Tatiana to lean forwards so he could show William where he thought the problem was centered. "I think this is where your bottom teeth caught. You probably couldn't pull out exactly the way you had gone in, and that's where they hooked."

William whined again, and looked at his mate. "I'm so sorry," he apologized when her eyes met his. He wanted to roll onto his belly and offer himself up to some form of punishment for the damage he had caused, but she just shook her head.

"You didn't know hun," she excused, and William felt the urge to go and retrieve something to ensure he kept her favor. His alpha was practically screaming at him to do so, but he couldn't. 

Maybe when they got home he would go out and get her something. He wasn't sure what, but he would find something that would at least start to make up for his huge blunder. He was supposed to protect her and keep her safe, and he felt like he wasn't doing a very good job as of late.

As the good doctor started to prep Tatiana to relieve her of her pain, William moved closer to offer her a hand to hold while she received her injections. She let out a tiny whimper with every poke, and William purred to distract her and offer some comfort. Those tiny sounds made his heart break a little more with each one she uttered. She never made sounds like that, and he knew the only reason she was was because he had been too reckless with his teeth.

"I really am sorry," he murmured to her, pressing their foreheads together. His mate sighed, slumping against him. 

"Just make it up to me, okay?" She said, and he nodded.

"Whatever you want," the angel promised, earnest. 

After the injections came the cutting, and William had to keep himself from growling at the smell of blood and sight of the purposeful carving. His mate couldn't feel anything, so that was a plus, but William still watched the doctor like a hawk, teeth on edge and ready to strike should she so much as flinch.

Luckily, she was more than adequately numbed and the abscess was located and drained. The doctor flushed the wound and then put a drain through the new cut and sutured it shut. It only took a few minutes and when he was finished Dr. McKlintock gave them their space as he filled out his paperwork. 

"I put a drain in to keep the abscess from coming back, but that new cut should heal with no to minimal scarring. I tried to stay away from the actual bite mark, as not to interfere with the pattern. Luckily the abscess was lower down on your shoulder blade so I could."

"I'll get you a prescription for some pain meds and antibiotics, and you should be fine. But if you have any other problems, or you think the infection is back, I do recommend seeing your doctor for treatment."

Tat nodded. She already felt ten times better. The local was really blocking most of her pain, and she knew that even once it worse off she would still feel much better than she first had.

"Thank you so much," she said, and Dr. McKlintock nodded. 

"You're welcome." He stood, clipboard in hand. "Let me get you your prescription while you get dressed and then you're all set to go."

XxX

Back at home, William was on her in an instant. She maybe got her shoes off before he was picking her up, tossing her bag from the pharmacy onto the couch and burying his face into her shoulder.

"Will?" 

She got a low growl in response, the hands on her backside that were holding her up squeezing hard and pushing her harder against him. Tat shivered a bit at position, but didn't jump to any conclusions. 

William rubbed himself against her neck and shoulder, rumbling all the while. She smelled like the hospital. Like disinfectant and latex and… not him.

**Make better,** his alpha demanded in his head, and William for once found himself agreeing with it.

He kept rubbing, kept smearing his scent across her skin, but the smell of the hospital refused to be covered. She needed a shower. They both did. He probably smelled like the hospital too, and that's why he couldn't get her scent to shift back to _right_ again.

"Shower," he muttered into her neck, and Tat tilted her head. 

"A shower?" She stroked the hairs at the base of his neck. "Are we taking one together?"

He nodded, and she went along with it. "Okay," she agreed, and William took them to the bathroom.

Their shower was brief, because William just wanted to get her clean so that he could scent her properly. It was all he could think about, his brain still riddled with hormones from his rut. His mate was patient and didn't fuss, allowing him to get them both clean before taking her straight back to their bed and putting her in it.

The bed was step one. As soon as she was in it William felt some of his anxiety lessen, taking comfort in the fact that she was _safe_ and back in their nest. But it wasn't enough to snuff the suffocating feeling completely. Tat opened her arms, motioned for him to come and nuzzle her like he so desperately wanted to, and he took her invitation with gusto. 

He was purring loudly as he rubbed his skin against hers, careful around her bite but more liberal in other areas. He even took to licking along her neck, to which earned him little shivers of pleasure from his mate.

He went about his ritual until he felt as though she was sufficiently rescented, and then rolled over, pulling her to rest on top of him. She straddled his waist and laid atop him, William still purring happily at the full body contact the position granted.

They laid there in companionable quiet, just William's soft purring to accent it and it was a nice lulling noise that made Tatiana feel sleepy.

She was about to nod off when William spoke up, his voice soft.

"You called me your husband, back at the hospital."

Tat smiled, didn't open her eyes. "I did."

Williams' arms wrapped around her, surrounding her in warmth. "I liked it… a lot," he admitted, and she chuckled quietly.

"I did too," she murred, kissing his neck. He purred louder. 

"Can't believe I get to call you my wife..." His arms squeezed her some. "You have no idea how good it feels."

Tatiana snuggled closer, sighing at his touch. She pressed into him a bit more to relay her affection "I like it when you call me Mate," she mused aloud. "But wife works too. Both are great."

Williams' rumbling chuckle felt like velvet in her ears. "If you like Mate better, I won't object." He kissed her mark with the utmost care. "Will you call me that too?"

Tat opened her eyes at that and pulled back some to look at him. His lips were drawn up in a lazy smile, and she fixed him with a teasing look. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to call you Alpha?" She trailed her hands over his sides and watched his gaze darken. She smirked. "I think you like that more."

"I do," William admitted, hands gripping her hips and kneading the flesh under his fingers. "But, I'm not responsible for any reactions that word causes when we're out in public." 

"Oh, I wouldn't blame you for anything," she rocked back into his groping. "And I think we're both into public… _activities_. A little reaction would just boost my ego."

She listened to William grumble happily, sitting up and smoothing her hands over his pectorals. He arched up into her touch, as if chasing her fingers, and she admired the buffet set before her. 

She rocked her hips against him, not disappointed when she felt his length harden against her cunt as she did so. She was still way too sore to want to attempt anything, but the instantaneous reaction did bring something else to mind.

"You should get your vasectomy reversed," she mused, rocking her hips again.

William's breath hitched.

"You… you sure?" 

He was asking because it was the right thing to do, but all he really wanted to do was say _hell yes._

Getting his vasectomy reversed would mean they would have to be a bit more careful, but it would be the final step to making their mated status for real and concrete. Angels only got their sterilization lifted when they had found a partner worthy of having children with and were in love with. It wasn't something taken lightly. It wasn't a game.

The fact that she had suggested it already meant a lot, but William wanted to make sure she was as ready as he was.

"I'm sure," she agreed, easily, as though it wasn't even something to take time and consider. 

He couldn't help the sound of happiness that left him, a high keen that had her smiling. "Is that a yes?" She asked. 

William nodded quickly, as if not moving fast enough would change her mind. "Yes, yes!" He said, gripping her hips a bit harder in his haste to say _yes._ He bit his lip, eyes searching hers. "Does this mean…?"

Tatiana giggled. "Kids?" 

" _Yes…_ I mean, when you're ready. Or _i-if_ you're ever ready! I don't want to push you!"

He definitely didn't want her to feel obligated. She was her own person, and just because they were mated didn't mean she owed him anything as serious and physically demanding as having children. He desperately wanted to start a family, to experience that satisfaction of seeing her plump with his pup and then seeing said pups grow and have lives of their own. But he wouldn't force her. She could change her mind whenever and he would respect it. 

She giggled again. "I think you've managed to sway me," she said, batting her lashes. "Not right now, but… I wouldn't mind it. Having your pup."

The angel was practically vibrating with excitement. She had really just said she would, that she would have pups with him. 

It was the single greatest piece of news he had heard since… well, forever. Right beside her becoming his mate, this **_permission_ ** to someday start a family with her was right up there with his greatest moments, and he surged upwards to kiss her. 

She squeaked at the sudden movement, but soon melted into the kiss, settling on his lap. He rocked up into her and she hummed happily at the friction, but he resisted the urge to try and go further. She was still too sore, and there was no point in humping her now when he was still clipped and dry.

"W-when can I get it done?" He asked, breathless. He wanted to keep kissing her, keep showering her in affection and gratitude. 

She was such a good mate. Perfect and ready and so generous…

She nuzzled him. "Why don't you make an appointment? You can get it done while I rest up." She batted her eyelashes at him again, brown eyes twinkling with affection. "Not to be rude, but I don't want you anywhere inside me for a while. I'm super sore still."

William nodded, kissing her again. "I know." He bit her lip, rumbling loudly. "Sorry… I'm just… I'm excited."

Tatiana didn't shame him. "I know. I'm excited too." She looked him up and down, William feeling himself flush as her eyes raked over his form. "I can't wait to see what it feels like to actually have you fill me up."

_Oh fuck!_

William groaned loudly, bucking his hips up at the mental image. Tat hissed as he rubbed against her sensitive folds too hard and too fast, but didn't complain besides that. William offered her another shaky apology once he realized what he had done, and did his best to keep still.

"I didn't mean to. Just… wow…" he panted. 

"It's okay," Tatiana mewled. She rocked against him a little bit more, teasing him, before lifting off his lap and sitting beside him on the bed. He twisted his upper half to follow her, kissing her hungrily. She allowed it for a few minutes before gently separating from him and pulling him down to rest beside her. He immediately snuggled up next to her, chest rumbling with happy, excited purring.

"Make your appointment today. I think the small wait will be good," Tat hummed. She reached between his legs, ran her fingers over the bulge in his sheath and then down to his balls, cupping them. William jerked almost violently as she did, pressing into her hand with so much eagerness she could almost taste it. "Let these bad boys fill up so when we make a mess it's one to remember."

The angel grit his teeth. Fuck, she was working him up so much. Any more and he might burst.

"I'm going to wreck you," he promised, panting in her ear. She giggled.

"Good."


	23. Back In The Saddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will goes back to work.

William was back at the rec center a few days later, trying to get back into the swing of his workouts. 

Thomas had been happy to see him, and had congratulated him when he said he had actually gotten mated over the break. The trainer was very supportive, and William appreciated it. It felt good being able to share the news. He couldn't tell his actual family due to being in a separate dimension and all so Thomas was really all he had at the moment. 

But the celebration was short lived. Thomas was eager to get him back on track. They had been making good progress prior to William's rut, and the man didn't want William to fall back too much and prevent him from nearing his rather ambitious goal of being semi competition ready by summertime.

They hadn't really touched much on actual sport training, but William was nearing that step even with his two weeks off. He still had to actually tell Tatiana about his plans, but Thomas seemed convinced that training would go well once he did. It was easier to train one person than two, so Thomas was confident Tatiana's experience would help William tremendously.

"I just want to make sure you're good on all your gaits, and then we can try some cutting moves," Thomas said as William and him went around the ring, Thomas letting William catch his breath after making him lope around the arena several times. 

It was another bitter cold winter day, and even the indoor arena was having trouble keeping all the heat in. William shifted the weight of Thomas on his shoulders, breathing hard through his nose. He didn't feel too winded, but he was still nowhere near the shape he had been in prior to his accident. Adjusting to his new vest was probably making him not as efficient as he would like to be either. 

The cutting vest he had ordered had a much larger, deeper, and heavier seat piece for a rider, and was meant to help offset the sharp stops and turns the angel had to make to do cutting in the first place. It centered the weight of his rider further back, which made him feel like he had to lean forwards more to keep his balance. Thomas had explained that it was supposed to keep him supple and soft. Cutters had to stay low, even while standing still. Cows were smaller compared to William, so this idea was stressed by the trainer. A good vest would let him work to the best of his ability.

It would take some getting used to, but once he had he wouldn't even notice it, and he would probably bulk up more in his upper body to counteract the opposing force a rider would put on him when he worked. His back already kind of felt sore, and this was the first time William had used the new vest, which cemented that line of thinking.

William took a few more minutes to cool down before Thomas asked to get off. William obliged him, and after he dismounted, Thomas gestured to where another angel had been waiting during his warmup. William had assumed it was just another rec center user who wanted to use the arena and was waiting for William's private session to finish, but Thomas called them over and introduced them as a seasoned cutter who had agreed to stop by and show William a bit of the sport.

"I figured seeing it in person would be a good way to let you know what you're getting into," the trainer mused. The other angel stooped down and let him climb up. When Thomas was settled he directed William to wait over by the mirrors, off to the side and out of the way.

As soon as William was in position, Thomas was nudging his angel into action.

Now, William had seen cutting before. Snippets of some of the flatwork and slowmo glory shots of sliding stops both with and without cattle. But he had never watched an entire routine from start to finish.

Thomas's angel friend (William assumed he had to be, to warrant a random visit for his sake) was nothing like what he thought he knew about cutting. David, as was the Angel's name, was power and grace and speed, but collected and soft. His hoofbeats were rhythmic as he loped around the arena, breath coming in billowing clouds in the cold air but not overworked or winded in the slightest.

Thomas leaned into the turn as David headed towards the center of the arena, his collected lope breaking into a run shortly after, and then the angel threw himself into a spectacular sliding stop, arching his back forwards as Thomas leaned back way in his seat. The synthetic dirt flew everywhere, arching up like wings where David's hooves dug in, two perfect trails left behind like burnouts from a street race. When they stopped, David stood back up to his full height, practically bouncing with effortless ease, and turned sharply, loping to the opposite end and doing the same routine but coming instead of going in William's direction.

William was mesmerized.

The routine didn't look hard, to someone who was naive, but William took care to note how much effort and core strength it took to keep oneself from pitching forwards or backwards too far, or how you had to really get low and skid by the skin on your ass to get a good slide. But there was more, lots more. Posture, hand placement. David had a harness with his saddle vest, leather straps that hooked to the trainers belt and kept Thomas from lifting in the seat too much, but also came with what looked like short reins that connected to some sort of collar on his neck. Thomas would flick his wrist, and David would respond, twisting in whatever direction Thomas would motion with. 

Gear was still something William was wrapping his head around. He knew what he needed for bucking, what worked best for him and his body, but cutting was like walking into a whole new world. The catalogs and websites he had browsed in short sessions had made his head spin. Martingales, shoulderpads, extra wide bars, hybrid materials. He had even seen bits, things he had thought were just for horses, refitted and modeled for those who needed and wanted more contact. All of it was alien and new and he had no idea what  _ any _ of it was for, let alone if he needed it.

But he did now that everything he was seeing now, and what he had peeked at over the last few months, was just cementing Thomas's words. He was in for a challenge, and while it was terrifying, William couldn't help but be  _ excited _ .

He hadn't pushed himself to learn something so new in what felt like forever. He had gotten comfortable with his routine, satisfied with his success. Yes, going in blind was scary, but the possibility for growth was so much more, and William had always liked the thrill mastering a new skill brought. It was why he was so good at cooking, at illusions. He wanted to be the best, and he didn't stop until he was.

His mate had set the bar high for him. She had made it to the pinnacle level of the sport and had won. The urge to learn and match her tremendous success was not an option to begin with, but William  _ liked _ the fact that there was a fire under his ass. Motivation was good. Motivation would keep him from giving up.

Thomas and his friend finished their demonstration, perfect as far as William could tell. He was quick to offer compliments once they came back over, and Thomas was chuckling at his enthusiasm.

"Glad you weren't scared off," he said, dismounting David.

William shook his head. "No, I like a challenge." He gestured towards the other angel, flashing him a smile. "Thank you for taking the time to show me part of the routine. I didn't realize how intense it was."

David smirked. "It takes a lot of work to get to the top," he mused, tone light. "Thomas was telling me your partner made it to Congress. I've been trying to get enough points to get there for three years, so that's quite a goal to set!"

William shrugged. "I've always been a bit ambitious," he chuckled. "Her experience will just push me harder."

They chatted for a bit longer before David had to leave. They said their goodbyes, and then it was just Thomas and William once again.

"So, have you told your new mate about what you want to do yet?" Thomas inquired once they were alone. He quirked a brow at William. "I'm sure it wasn't the topic of choice, but we're getting pretty close to actual training here now."

"No, unfortunately." William rubbed the back of his neck. "I meant to, but some things happened and I got… distracted."

Well, horny was the proper term he supposed, but he didn't think Thomas wanted to hear about how he was looking forward to getting his sterilization reversed because it meant more intimate sexy times for him and Tat. 

He'd been thinking about it ever since she had popped the suggestion, bordering on obsessive if he was being honest. 

William had already made his appointment, eager as ever, but the earliest the clinic closest to them could get him in was next week. It wasn't too far off, but far enough where he felt antsy. Working out helped temper his hot blood, but now that he was thinking about it he couldn't stop.

He was so damn close. Tat really had no idea what she was in for. He was sure the doctor would tell him he needed to take it easy at first but William wasn't sure he'd be able to hold himself back. He was a patient man… but something like this?

Oh no. His filthiest thoughts were about to become reality and there was no way he was going to stifle them now that the shackles were off.

Thomas cleared his throat, indicating that William had delved too deep into said nasty brain of his and it took him a bit of effort to refocus on his trainer.

"Distracted, huh?" Thomas said, voice just ever so teasing.

William's cheeks pinked. "Uh… yeah." 

Christ. He had to get it together. He was acting like a teenager again.

Thankfully, Thomas was a pretty chill guy. He just chuckled at William and his antics and didn't press the issue. "Come on," he said, waving William back towards the arena. "Let's finish your session. I'll let you know when I think you're ready for the next step, and you can tell your girl then. Might be easier then just waiting on you to bring it up."

William ducked his head a bit, only slightly embarrassed, but nodded his agreement.

Yeah, it might just be the best course of action. 

For now, at least.


	24. Wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This may get edited

Tat looked at her phone, smirking at the series of texts between herself and William.

His appointment for his reversal was today, and she had been riling him up all week just for the sake of watching him squirm. 

She knew he was holding himself back, one because she had still been recovering from his rut, and two because he was determined to not waste a single drop, taking her earlier words regarding making a mess to heart. She wasn't sure it would really make an impact on the actual volume of what would be William's first real orgasm, but it turned her on watching him be perpetually horny and left with no outlet. 

Her libido was coming back now that she wasn't sore and chafed to all hell, as evident by how slick her panties felt as she walked towards her next meeting, eyes still glued to her phone screen.

**I'm waiting for the doctor.**

**Hope you're ready for tonight.**

Tatiana trembled a bit as she read the latest text to come in, William apparently having been left with his own thoughts as he waited for his doctor. A dangerous decision on their part, she thought. He'd been texting her all morning, and she could practically taste his impatience through the words on her phone, the desperation in his written tone getting worse the closer he got to getting his wish.

Her thumbs flew across the keyboard, eager to reply, and tease him just a bit more.

**We'll see how I feel. Might be too tired ;)**

William's responding text was quick.

**You've been teasing me all week.**

**I'm going to give you the knotting of a lifetime as soon as you get in the fucking door.**

Tat's lips curled into a smile.

Ah. Swearing. He was pretty wrung tight to start cussing over text. 

Mmm.

_Good._

Tatiana passed the bathroom and paused for a second before turning and entering it. The room was quiet, the stalls empty.

Perfect.

Tatiana ducked into the handicapped stall and locked the door. 

She put her files down on the little side table that was inside the stall. Her office was pretty generous with its luxuries and little amenities. The table was perfect for holding a purse or doing as she was right now. 

She made sure everything unnecessary was out of her hands before she hiked up her skirt over her hips and took a few pictures with her phone. She made sure to include a few of the wet spot that had soaked through her white panties, courtesy of their nasty sexting.

She sent the photos as soon as she was done taking them, leaving the bathroom afterwards and nodding to a coworker as she passed. Her phone didn't buzz for a while, and she almost made it to her next meeting by the time it finally did go off.

A flurry of notifications came in back to back, and she patiently waited for her phone to stop tweaking before unlocking it and reading through her mate's atrocious train of thought.

**You're terrible.**

**God, I'd fuck you in that stall right now.**

**Just wait till you get home.**

Tat's heart started to beat faster as she reread the last text a few more times. It wasn't hard to picture William growling those words in a sultry promise for revenge against her and she was eager to experience it. She liked when he took control, just as much as she liked it when he turned to putty in her hands. 

She wanted to reply back, but stopped herself. 

No. Maybe it was better if she didn't. 

The final cherry on top of the teasing sundae was to leave him on read. He'd be worked up even more over her blatant ignoring his bait, which would just mean more sweet satisfaction for her later. 

She tucked her phone into her skirt pocket after turning it on silent, entering her next meeting.

Only a few more hours left. She'd see how he held it together until then.

____

Not well.

That's how William handled it.

It was the audacity for him. The outright torture the pictures put him through while he had waited for his doctor, for him.

He was alone enough he could've rubbed one out, but not alone enough to take the risk. It was embarrassing enough already with how he'd gotten so worked up over a few pictures, but he mightve passed away if his physican walked in to him with his fucking dick in his hand. 

It had taken what little remained of his self control to keep his hands from roaming, and to make his rather prominent boner go away before his doctor came in. The rest of the visit went quick enough after that. He had chosen an angel clinic, because he didn't really want to have any downtime. With all the plans he had running around in his head, he needed to be up and able ASAP, and angel clinics used magic to reverse medical sterilizations, each doctor trained in the secret spell used to give and take said sterilization away. No downtime, and it was fast. Plus, these types of clinics only hired/focused on his species, so there were no humans to meddle in any of the steps.

After a quick exam and a blood test, he was cleared, and his sterilization gone as though it had never happened in the first place. He didn't feel any different, but his doctor did warn him that there could be a few blank shots before he saw anything happen, but those were rare. William sincerely doubted he would have a problem. With how high his blood pressure was from his mates teasing he was probably going to cum as much as a fucking horse.

William left the clinic and started towards home, practically vibrating out of his skin. He had timed his appointment to make it so he would get home just shy of when Tat usually did, intent on pouncing her as soon as she got in the door. And with the pictures she had sent still burned into his memory like a cattle brand, he was going to relish the revenge.

Tat had never sent William nudes before. Their relationship had moved too fast to even warrant them. But the fact that she had taken the time to stop working and grace him with such lewd files was enough to drive him up a wall with need.

He was purring loudly to himself when he opened the front door, stepping inside. He put his keys in the bowl on the hallway table, and noted that Tat's keys were there as well. His eyes automatically went to the hook above the table, and sure as shit her purse was hanging there too. 

Was she home early?

Movement from somewhere in the apartment told him, more than likely, _yes._

William started shrugging off his winter gear as he stalked towards the bedroom, dropping articles of clothing haphazardly as he did so. He damn near kicked the bedroom door open when he got to it, bursting in and finding his wife sitting on their bed. 

She was still in her work clothes, but she had taken the time to tweak her appearance just enough to have him howling.

Her shirt was unbuttoned, the maroon, lacy thing she called a _bra_ on full display, her overabundance cleavage spilling over the top of the sheer lace trim. Her skirt was up, showing off thick thighs covered in sheer black stockings, legs crossed at the ankle where she still had her heels on, the red bottoms a pop of enticing color against the beige carpet.

William's brain short circuited for a second, completely entranced by the feast before him. Tat, to her credit, just smirked and leaned back onto her hands, tilting her head at him as if to ask "whats wrong?", and when she did was when he realized he had played right into her trap.

"Was this your plan all along?" The angel asked as he started towards her. Two long strides closed the gap and pushed her backwards, Tat falling back onto the bed with a soft huff. William pinned her down once she was on her back, grinding against her leg that had reflexively come up as she was pushed down.

"Took you long enough to get home," she taunted, enjoying the show that was him grinding his sheath on her leg, the hard outline of his rapidly inflating erection just barely hidden in the fur. She pushed into it, heard him mutter a curse in reply before doubling down and grinding on her harder. "Did you get distracted on the way back?"

William growled. "You know damn well what you did."

Tat shrugged her shoulders, smirked. "Do I?"

Oh, she was such a fucking tease. William gnashed his teeth at her for her gall, and his sweet female shivered at the display, tilting her head up and exposing her throat. He licked a hot stripe over her bobbing throat as she swallowed, and then nibbled at her jugular and took delight when she sucked in a breath and her pulse jumped under his teeth.

She looked so good, his brain reminded him. She always looked good, but this was the first time she had worn her "uniform" to bed. His hands roamed, teased her nipples through the lace of her bra and then up under her skirt, pulling her stockings down to get access to her silken thighs.

Tat's skin was smooth under his fingers, and he squeezed and rubbed her thighs, taking pleasure in just how soft her body was. When she flexed though, he could feel the muscle underneath, and he groaned, following the cord of one with eager fingers back up to her knee. 

He pushed her legs apart, settled himself between them. He bucked his hips on reflex, her warmth inviting, and let out a trill of surprise when he noted she had no panties on.

"You took them off," he panted into her neck, fully worked up. One of his hands had wedged between them and was frantically working on getting himself out of his sheathe. Tat was purring, arms looped around his neck and lips on his ear.

"Didn't think we needed them," she replied, and William groaned again, mindlessly thrusting against her.

It was hard to think. Kind of like when he started to go into rut. His mind was fuzzy, everything obscured by a thick fog. The only thought and goal that wasn't impeded by the haze was the overwhelming urge to fuck his mate senseless, and finally get a chance at knotting her properly. 

His body was on autopilot, bucking his hips and sliding his eager cock against her wet folds. Each thrust made his mate purr in appreciation as the head of his dick rubbed against her clit, and he doubled his efforts just to hear more of her sweet sounds. 

They were good sounds. Such pretty sounds.

He liked when she huffed in his ear, told him what she wanted, or how good he was doing. 

He bit his lip as she gasped, and then ground herself against him, silently asking for more. William was eager to help. He felt like his entire body was on fire, and that his dick was harder than it had ever been.

He had to get inside her. He **_had_ ** too.

His hands snaked under her ass, lifting her up and angling her hips so that his next thrust forwards would complete that goal. 

And it did. Tat was hot and wet and tight, and he trembled as the urge to pop his knot right then and there threatened to undo him. He was so wound up that the temptation to do so was immense, but he exercised what remained of his self control just enough to have control over the situation taken from him completely.

In a surprising move of agility and strength, Tat flipped them over, and was now straddling William.

He keened at the change of position, but also over how fucking good she looked as she loomed over him and ride his dick like she was fucking made for it.

She smirked at him, cheeks tinted pink. "I'm not done yet," she purred.

William quivered, moving to rest his hands on her hips, but she slapped them away. He whimpered, the backs of his hands stinging from her rebuff, and she motioned for him to put them behind his head. 

"No touching," she panted. She reached under the pillows beside them and produced a pair of handcuffs. The slick metal was cold against his heated skin as she put them on him for added security. 

"When did you get those?" William asked, chest rising and falling with each heaving breath. He gave an experimental tug once they were on. 

They didn't budge.

"On the way home," was her simple reply.

Tatiana put her hands on his chest, squeezed his pecs slightly before lifting her hips and beginning to lower herself up and down on his girthy cock. William hissed in pleasure, hands twitching in their binds behind his head. 

It felt great. Amazing. 

But… he wanted more. 

Harder.

_Faster._

He bucked his hips up to suggest she change her pace, but as soon as he did she pulled off completely, and left him whining in earnest.

"Fuck, Tat-"

"Mmmm, I love it when you beg." Tatiana bit her lip, resisting the urge to salivate at the pretty image her made mate under her. "It's so fucking hot."

She reached down, grabbed his twitching erection and began to pull at it, enjoying the sensation of his muscles jumping with each stroke. He groaned, and her spine tingled at how nice it sounded.

"I have this big, alpha angel at my mercy," the woman continued, dropping her voice so it was soft and sultry. "You're all tied up and _begging_ for me to fuck myself on this big cock." Tat licked her lips. 

She rubbed the head of his throbbing dick against her sopping wet pussy, watched William's gaze darken at the show she was putting on. His frame was tight, the muscles in his arms straining against the handcuffs. 

"Do you wanna see me do it? Do you wanna see me stuff myself with it?" Tat asked, already knowing the answer.

God damn she was driving him _wild._

Yes, he wanted to see it. Yes, he wanted her to keep doing what she was doing. 

She was so hot when she took charge. His second gender naturally opposed being submissive, but he loved it, loved it when she made him completely give up his pride and beg for her to make him feel good.

It was thrilling and he loved pleasing her. 

"Please…" William whimpered, unable to hide the sudden desperation that had found its way into his voice. His face felt hot and he knew it was because he was blushing. Begging still made him feel shameful, but in a good way that made heat pool deliciously in his belly.

Tat purred. "I want to hear you say it, baby."

Her hand had stopped moving now, holding him steady against her weeping cunt for when he gave to her demands. Shame reared its head again, made William blush harder as his alpha protested giving in, but his resolve was weak, and he wanted so badly to please her.

" _Please,"_ he moaned, trembling now. Her hand was lightly squeezing now as he spoke, encouraging him to continue. "I want to see it. I-I want you to ride me-!"

His begging was cut off as his mate sunk back down onto him, her molten heat swallowing him whole in seconds and making stars flash before his eyes. A most embarassing noise escaped him as she started to fuck herself in earnest, her fat ass slapping against his thighs with every downward stroke. The obscene sounds that rang out through their bedroom filled his ears and made the whole experience that much better. 

Tat threw her head back and relished just how good William fit inside her.

He hadn't been the only one thirsting for this moment.

It had only been a week since his rut. Just a week. But the whole time she had been recovering she had been letting her mind run wild with the memories of it, getting herself wet when she couldn't do anything to even begin to take the edge off, working herself up over and over and letting the pent up frustration simmer.

She'd been obsessing over him and his cock for _days_ , eager as ever to have it back inside her. Like a crackhead she was fiending for her fix, and now that she finally had it she wasn't going to give up the opportunity to take it how she wanted. Her pussy was spasming all around him, trying to milk the angel for all he was worth and William was stretching her in all the right ways, filling her so completely she couldn't think of anything else but how perfect he was.

"I swear-" she panted, slamming herself back down onto his dick with a resounding slap, William crying out in pleasure under her shortly after. "Your cock is addictive. All I want to do is have it inside me."

William mewled, hands twitching in earnest. The cuffs clicked loudly as he jerked his arms in an effort to free himself, but they held firm.

Tatiana clicked her tongue in warning between harsh panting.

"I got the angel proof ones," she huffed, smiling at him. 

William wasnt sure if he wanted to kill her, or fuck her harder. 

" **_Minx_ **," he growled instead, and his mate laughed, breathless.

"Had to make sure you couldn't take over," she murmured, grinding down on him hard. She was so wet his fur was getting soaked as she rode him, the slick heat dripping between his thighs and over his balls. She groaned. "I wanted to control your first wet orgasm."

William's whole body shuddered at that, his hips pistoning upwards involuntarily. 

God, he wanted to wreck her. He wanted to hold her down, breed her so well her birth control failed and his knot would fail to keep it all in. He wanted to see his cum drip down her legs when she stood up, and then he wanted to smear it on her skin so that every alpha in a three mile radius would know she was his. 

Tatiana moaned and cursed above him, her bruising pace faltering. "Shit, babe, is that what you wanna do?" 

William hadn't realized his internal thoughts had actually been voiced aloud, so caught up in the moment his brain hadn't been able to filter. He blushed hard as he finally noticed his mistake, but at her prompting he was nodding in earnest. 

Fuck, he would do that and so much more.

"Let me," he panted, straining to sit up some, still pulling at the cuffs, the metal biting into his wrists. "Please. I'll be good. I'll do it so good-"

He would. He'd be a good stud. A good alpha. He would make her feel so good, and then he'd pump her so full she'd feel it for days after. His mind immediately conjured images of her having a knotted toy in place to make sure none of it leaked out while she was at work, and he almost came from that image alone. 

It was so filthy. But so fucking _hot_.

"Please," he begged again, whimpering some. 

Tat's hands found their way to his head, pulling, helping him sit up. She tangled her fingers in his hair after, kissed him hard and hungry as she kept bouncing on his lap. 

"Do you really want to breed me?" She asked when they pulled a part, spit slicking their chins. William moaned loudly. 

Of fucking course he did. 

" _Yes_ ," he hissed, arms straining. He had to get these cuffs off. He had too. He had to hold her, grip her tight and keep her from wriggling away. Not that she ever had, but some primal part of his brain was screaming that she could, just to tease him. Taunt him.

His mate purred, arms looping around his neck, their sweaty skin too hot and too sensitive. Her fat tits were smooshed against his chest, close enough where he could see the sweat beading on them, but too far to reach with his mouth.

It was fucking torture.

William kept pulling at his bindings, uncaring of the fact that the metal was unforgiving and had started to cut into his skin from his motions. His mate didn't stop him either, apparently liking his frantic attempts to free himself. 

"Are you my good alpha?" She crooned, and his eyes rolled back into his head. 

Yes. _Yes!_ He was. He was so good. Such a good alpha to her.

He managed a stiff nod, and her lips were on his jaw, kissing, licking little kitten licks. 

Her pace hadn't slowed, and he could feel his balls tightening and his orgasm drew closer, the line of pleasure they were riding about to hit an end. She must've noticed, because her fingers tightened their hold on his shoulders, and her pussy gripped him like a vice, the friction increasing tenfold. 

"C-can I?" His voice was strained, every muscle in his body tense. His wrists were bleeding now, the cuffs groaning out of the strain of his strength. 

"What, baby? What do you want?" Tatiana asked, breathless. She was so close. Just a little bit longer…

"I… I want to hold you," William moaned. "Please. Can I? Wanna hold you when I cum please babe-"

"You wanna hold me?"

" _Yes._ **_Please_ **-"

God he was going to cum. He was going to fucking pop his knot and he wanted to hold her goddammit. He jerked at the cuffs even harder, desperation making him stronger. 

Tat's eyes were closed, so she didn't see him pulling, didn't see him hurting himself as the animalistic drive to get to her made him abandon his self preservation. He could see her though. Could see how her face was scrunched up in the way it did right before she came, her lips parted and slack, eyebrows knitting her brow together as the pleasure neared a crescendo. 

He struggled harder, felt the cuffs bend.

"You can- ah!- hold me," she finally said, her head tilting back, throat exposed. Her mating mark, just barely closed over, caught his attention, and he leaned forwards, swiped his tongue over it. A soft chuckle escaped her soon after, her lips curling in a smirk that made alarm bells go off in his head.

" **_If you can get the cuffs off._ **"

It was a challenge. A fucking challenge. 

She was mocking him, teasing him. She wanted him to prove his worth to her again, and his alpha simultaneously howled in pride at having snagged such a spectacular creature and then gnashed its teeth at her audacity.

She needed to be put in her place. Needed to be reminded who's mate she was. She thought she was so safe, that she had this in the bag. His little bitch was clever and he loved her for it, but she was greatly underestimating him in this moment. 

Tatiana, meanwhile, was grinning at him as she slammed herself down hard on his cock, her thighs burning from the effort but her face smug because she had gotten cuffs that had promised not to break. 

There was no way her dear hubby was going to get free. She was going to win this little match, and she was going to relish watching him cum as she sat on his fat knot and milked him dry for the first time.

She purred at the idea, pleased with herself. 

But then William fixed her with a stare that was so completely predatory that she faltered in her pace, her spine tingling as her brain screamed at her to _run._

It was right to warn her.

The cuffs broke, parts of the chain flying across the room with a sounding _snap!_ Apparently angel proof did not mean _alpha-proof_ , and she felt her heart beat wildly in her chest as her mate was suddenly free, the cuffs now useless in keeping him prone. William's chest was vibrating as a loud snarl ripped from it, and two seconds later she was being pinned down against the plush mattress. 

"Wha-"

**_"You got cocky,"_ **William snarled, fangs glinting in the light of the room. Tat melted immediately at the sight, felt herself go boneless with submission.

It was times like this that she wondered if she was indeed part angel. She had no idea who her parents were, so it could be possible. It would explain why William was able to make her turn to mush with just a simple sound. His growl turned a switch in her brain that just wiped her consciousness, made her want to do nothing but lay there and take it.

She cooed, eyes fluttering as William took control, one of his big hands wrapping around her throat. It didn't squeeze, didn't choke, but just held her, and she reached up, put her hands around his wrist and squirmed, belly up and _loving_ it. 

She had had her fun. Now she had to be his good girl. His good bitch that took whatever he gave her and took his knot like a champ.

Her posturing pleased William immensely, his alpha instincts placated by how easily she gave up, how eagerly she accepted his control and laid on her back with her tender belly exposed. He started purring, hips still thrusting wildly, and bent over her phone frame, licked at her mating mark again before licking her face, his female moaning as he dragged his tongue over her cheek.

**_"Who's your alpha?"_ **His voice dripped with dominance, hot breath fanning over her face. Her eyelashes fluttered again, her brown eyes rolling as his cock hit that place deep inside that made her yip with wanton abandon.

"Y-you are," she squeaked, hands gripping his wrist. 

Mmm. She sounded so fucking good when she was being submissive.

William purred louder, fucked her harder. **_"Good girl,"_ **he praised, and didn't miss how she whimpered, how her cheeks flushed pink. She was as much of a slut for praise just like he was, and he was so fucking glad.

He grinned, all teeth. She was perfect, and he couldn't wait to get to do this again, to cover her pretty tits and face with his cum. 

She'd look great with a new pearl necklace.

**_"I'm going to knock you up,"_ ** he growled, the headboard cracking against the wall as they rode each other like rabbits. **_"Fuck you so good it takes. And then you can send me photos from work with your belly all full of my pups."_ **

"Oh, _god-"_

She was close. He could practically taste it.

He drooled some more, a string of it landing on her chest and making her whimper. He watched it slide across her skin before he leaned down, pressed his lips to her ear. 

**_"Or better yet, I'll fuck you in your office,"_ ** his teeth nipped at the shell of her ear, teasing. **_"Breed you right on your desk while your boss is paging you to get to your next meeting-"_ **

That was the last straw.

Tat cried out, her nails digging into the cut flesh on his wrist as she finally came. Her walls spasmed around him, clenching and unclenching in rapid succession, and the prettiest moan he had ever heard her make graced his ears.

Wiliam pulled back and watched her come undone, her body twitching in earnest as he pounded into her through her aftershocks. The alpha was drooling at the sight, and it wasn't much longer before he was following her off the cliff, leaping to join her in nirvana.

His orgasm hit him like a tsunami, each wave a new sensation that built on the previous. 

His vision whited out as he came, his muscles in his abdomen jumping so much they _hurt_. The pleasurable feeling of his knot swelling was next, made him shiver as he came to full mast and locked himself into his mate. But the third wave was new, and William honestly felt like he might die from the pleasure and overstimulation of nerves that had never been used before.

He may have shouted when the first spurt shot out of him and into his waiting female, the feeling so strange and new but fantastic at the same time. The second was just as good, and the third settled somewhere as not as sharp and bright, but mellow and deeply satisfying. After that, each pulse was just a strum of bone deep pleasure, alien but comforting to his alpha consciousness. 

Said alpha was purring in his head, crooning as they were finally able to fill their bitch properly. William hadn't realized how much he was missing until now, and he faintly registered that he didn't feel the sour note of what he now clarified as frustration as he knotted her. 

It was because he wasnt doing a half-assed job anymore. He was finally fulfilling his duty, and it was so satisfying being able to do so, his second consciousness supplied. 

William remained spaced out for what felt like forever, but was probably only a few seconds in real time. He eventually slowly started coming back to the present, his mate's gentle cooing and stroking of his arms lulling him back. When he opened his eyes, and his vision cleared enough to see, she was smiling up at him, looking fucked out and gorgeous. 

And content.

"You feel good?" She asked him, voice gentle. Her hands were slowly rubbing up and down his flexing biceps, petting him, and he nodded dumbly. 

William's head felt like it was full of cotton. His mind was too blissed out and flooded with endorphins and dopamine to function at full capacity right now. But he did feel good. 

He felt so, so good.

"Never… never felt like that before," he murmured, and his mate was cupping his face, her thumb swiping over his cheek affectionately.

"You did so good."

He purred, felt his arms start to give from holding his weight. He allowed himself to lay down, rolled them so that she was on top again. Her thighs hugged his waist and her weight settled nicely across his chest and abdomen. His dick was still pulsing inside her, and she moaned a bit as more of his hot cum filled her womb.

"That feels so good," she said, resting her head on his chest. "Feels… hot."

William rumbled in appreciation, but it was tinged with exhaustion.

He was tired, much more tired than he had ever expected. All he could think about now was how he wanted to rest, wanted to sleep with her on top of him and his knot locking them together. William managed enough energy to nuzzle the top of her head and breathe in her scent. Her unique and comforting aroma settled nice and weighty in his lungs.

"Hope it takes," he murmured into her hair. His mate chuckled, but not unkindly. Her hand reached up, stroked his cheek again.

"We'll have to wait and see," she said.

Her answer made him smile. He kissed her hair, and then drifted into unconsciousness, content and happy and his mate comfy in his arms.


End file.
